


Of Knights and Thieves

by Calandraa



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Blood, F/M, M/M, Past Rape, Smut, Turtles did not all grow up together, Violence, implied rape, pseudo-tcest, tcest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:43:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 95,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calandraa/pseuds/Calandraa
Summary: Donatello and Michelangelo lead a good life. For mutant turtles anyway. With their adopted sister April they bend the law a tiny bit to make a living. Moving to New York was supposed to make life even better. What they did not expect was a certain do-gooder mutant turtle and his short-tempered brother to interfere with their job. And they sure as hell did not expect to join forces with them one day.Alternative universe - obviously.Mainly based on 2003 TMNT with a little TMNT 2012 sprinkled in.





	1. Schooled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is my first attempt at an AU. I will not explain all the circumstances in this universe beforehand. I think it is better to reveal them during the story.

Donatello spotted the old building from the other side of the street. It was late and this was a pure residential area so there was no need to be on the lookout for cars or pedestrians and he just sprinted across the road. Elegantly he climbed up the wall that surrounded the old school. He rushed across the school yard, swiftly ascended along the pipe to slip through the broken window on the second level. With any other hunter he would just stay in the building for a few minutes but there was no way this particular chasers had not seen him go in here. Especially the one with the malachite skin and the blue mask was like a bloodhound. Not that the red-banded emerald one was pleasant company.

He was not going to let those two spoil this. He had the USB-Stick and selling it would solve a lot - if not all - of the problem his siblings and he had.

Calculating he took in his surroundings. The layer of dust on the floor would make hiding hard, but he was resourceful and would come up with something. Leaving visible traces on purpose, he crossed the old office to reach the staircase and run to a level higher. Soon enough he found a big old classroom that had been repurposed as a storage room. Old desks, big crates and, especially convenient, an access to the ventilation shaft.

After running towards the window, he opened it and closed it again. Then he climbed on the windowsill to jump on one of the old desks under the ventilation flap from there. With his trusty screwdriver he removed two of the screws holding it, making it open up without coming down.

 

*

 

Raphael and Leonardo carefully made their way up the stairs, following the obvious trail.

“He knows that we can easily follow him, right?” Raph asked.

“Of course he knows that,” Leo nodded. They had encountered the olive-skinned turtle and his leaf-green accomplice several times now. Tonight, however, the first had been out on his own, but that did not make him an easy catch.

“Too bad it had ta be the smart one…”

“You should not underestimate the other one as well, Raphael!”

The turtle with the red mask scoffed at that.

“Yeah, right.”

Leo put his finger at his lips. He stepped through the door the trail led to. An old classroom used for storage purposes lay behind it, full of old furniture and crates. The footsteps led to the windows which was not properly closed and the dust on the sill had been disturbed.

“He climbed out again,” Raphael growled. “Let’s move fast, we can still catch him. We know that area better than him!”

“We do,” Leo said quietly. “But he knows that…”

With that he pointed at some of the desks. Someone had hastily removed the lair of dust on them. A dirty towel obviously used for that, lay half-hidden beneath an old shelf. Gesturing Raphael to follow him, he went closer to a writing table in the center of the room. Silently he pointed at the ventilation shaft. Looking closely one could see two screws missing. Their prey must have removed them to slip through and pulled the cover up, hoping it would hold without the missing screws.

Raphael and Leonardo grinned at each other. They knew catching Donatello would make it pretty easy to get the other one, too.

They climbed on the table and silently opened the cover. Looking into the shaft, Leonardo saw that it spread in two directions. But the crawl space probably was a circle and there was no way to open the flaps from the inside with a screwdriver. And sheer force would take a while AND make a lot of noise. They could corner the thief. Slipping in Leo, gestured Raph to climb up and move left, while he himself would crawl to the right. His younger brother nodded and followed the wordless order.

After scuttling forward a few feet, Leonardo heard a small clunking noise. He rolled his eyes. Even though Donatello was surrounded, Raphael could at least try to move silently. But suddenly there was a squeaking. That could not be his red-banded brother moving through the shaft. After a second it stopped. But there it was again.

Two squeaking noises! Damn! As fast as the circumstances allowed, Leo turned around, crawling back to the shaft they had come through. His misgivings confirmed he saw the olive-skinned turtle they had been chasing looking at him through the grid of the now closed cover, a screwdriver in his right hand. He had caught them in the ventilation shaft!

“I am very sorry,” the turtle on the other side of the flap spoke softly, chocolate eyes looking composedly at the turtle in blue. “But you two could just leave us alone, you know.”

Surprised at the gentle tone and the pleasant voice, Leonardo was startled for a second. He had never heard Donatello talk before. He always stayed silent in a fight, taking a defensive stance, waiting for a chance to escape. His partner was more of the talkative type. Very talkative.

 “How?” Finally Leonardo found his voice again.

“I hid in one of the crates,” Donatello, immediately understanding what the other meant, answered while tightening the screws a bit more. “I knew you’d be observant enough to notice the missing screws and be so pleased with yourself that you’d not check the rest of the room.”

By now Raph had caught up and appeared at Leo’s side.

“Ya little bastard!” He snarled at the turtle under them. “Ya locked us in?”

“As I was just telling your brother,” Donatello said in an infuriating calm voice. “You could just leave us alone.”

“You are criminals,” Leonardo stated matter-of-factly.

“We are mutants,” the thief with the purple mask retorted while climbing from the desk. “Running around playing white knight will not make you fit in better than us.”

“That grid won’t hold us foreva, ya know?”

“No, but long enough,” Donatello answered gently. “I just want to go home.”

He opened the window and wanted to climb out.

“We cannot allow you to steal!” Leonardo called after him. “Mutant or not, there are things like honor and law!”

Instead of leaving the thief turned around, this time looking annoyed.

“You do know that these companies have been stealing secrets from each other since they exist, right?” he asked in an arrogant tone. “My ‘victim’ of tonight has been the culprit often enough. Just as my client was the victim several times. I am just a well-paid pawn in their decade old game of chess.”

After that he left.

 

*

 

Relieved Donatello slipped into the apartment and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment.

“Donnie!” April rushed over to him, almost crushing him in her arms. “We were worried sick! What happened?”

“Sorry, sis,” her brother answered. “The Hamatos showed up. The blue one almost got me. In the struggle I lost my cellshell. Losing THEM on the other hand did not happen so fast.”

“Man, those two are becoming annoying!” Huffing she blew a rogue strain of red hair out of her face. “But I found some information about them. Some things we already knew but some news as well. Maybe we find a weakness that helps us to keep them away.”

“What did you find out?”

“I made some notes for you,” she grinned. “I know you love that! They’re on my desk.”

“Thanks.” He returned her smile. “I’ll go check them.”

“You hungry?”

“Yes, would you…”

“On it, sir!” She saluted and went to the kitchen.

Shaking his head with a smirk, Donatello went to his sister’s room and took a seat at her desk.

According to her notes she had talked to several of their informants, mutants and humans. Donnie frowned at that. She probably had met the humans in shady but at least public spaces, mutants hung out in dirty secret underground bars and similar locations. The genius did not like the thought of April visiting these places on her own. She was no stranger to self-defense, but he had to talk to her to make sure she would no longer visit these areas without backup.

Reading the names of the contacted informants, Donnie just hoped her charms had kept the amount of money she had to pay at a minimum. He was sure a lot of those scumbags were also responsible for any information Leonardo and Raphael had about them.

Word on the streets was the two mutants lived somewhere in the sewers and they had contacts to the weird aliens in the TCRI building. That was bad. Don once had hacked their system to practice his skills. By that time he had not known that this was no normal research center but actually the headquarter of a couple of aliens. He had not stolen any information and caused no damage, but he still was convinced that he was not on their Christmas card list. And if these aliens would provide support to the turtles who were so keen on catching them, that could turn out to be problematic.

The good news was that due to their crime-fighting habits and the fact that most mutants lived a rather shady life, the Hamatos weren’t exactly popular within the mutant community. Donatello and his brother on the other hand barely got in the way of other mutants.

The turtle in purple sighed. While these notes actually contained some news, the questions that really bugged him remained unanswered: What did they want from him and his family? Did someone hire them? And most of all: who trained them to fight like that? Michelangelo and Don himself were not half bad with their Ninjutsu skills. Ironically even better than April who of course was the one who had visited the class, encouraged by their late father while her adoptive brothers had watched the training from the headlights above the dojo.

But those guys? Leonardo and Raphael fought like devils. Donatello and Michelangelo never fought them to win but to flee so the bruises they suffered were not that bad. But they once had witnessed the two other turtles fight a bunch of 10 Purple Dragons. The members of that street gang had all been unconscious at the end while there had been not a scratch on Leonardo and Raphael.

“So, what’s new about the two hotties?” Mikey’s voice rang through April’s room when the turtle with the orange mask strolled in.

“What?” Donnie raised an eye ridge.

“Oh, come on!” his younger brother grinned. “Those two are soooo sexy! Did you never see those muscles flex during a fight or when they run after us?”

“No, because during these times I am usually busy not to get caught by those two self-proclaimed paladins,” the smart turtle answered sarcastically.

“Maybe we should LET them catch us.” Mikey wiggled with his eyebrows suggestively. “Who knows what they could doooooo to us…”

Donatello just rolled his eyes at that but could not help thinking about Michelangelo’s words. But while the turtle in orange probably thought about being tied up and spanked by the two other turtles, the genius wondered in all honesty what the Hamatos would do if they would ever catch them. Unlike the Purple Dragons or other human criminals they could not just tie them up and leave them for the police. Unless they wanted the public to know about the existence of mutants what would endanger them, too. So what was their goal? Did they have their own mutant jail in the sewers? Were they planning on just killing them? They would not do this right? Sure the redbanded one could get pretty angry and violent when provoked, but the blue masked turtle mentioned honor and respect several times during their encounters. So it was rather unlikely they would just drag them into a dirty alley, kill them and drop them into the Hudson.

“And how they wield their weapons. So elegant but still powerful…”

Blinking Donatello looked at his brother who obviously had been rambling about how attractive their enemies were during the genius’ pondering.

“Mikey…”

“Admit it, Donnie,” the prankster teased. “They are hot! Which one do you like better? The blue one? That’s Leonardo, right? I think the other one called him Leo once…”

“Mikey…”

“So the red one is Raphael! I could not decide! That Leonardo is so mysterious, so deep and unreadable. But Raphael  - he is so angry and wild. Grrr….”

“Mikey!” Don finally managed to snap his brother out of it.

“What? I just asked which one you like better…”

“Oh, I don’t know, Michelangelo,” Donatello responded sarcastically. “Does one of them want to catch us a little less than the other one? Does one of them interrupt our work on fewer occasions? In short: Is one of them a less significant pain in my ass?”

“Bro, do you know how many dirty jokes I can make now?”

Donnie sighed, exhausted.

“I am sure your possibilities are endless,” he deadpanned before grabbing his younger brother’s shoulders to tell him with a stern expression: “Look, those guys are dangerous. They are incredible skilled and relentless. I need you to see them as the threat they are, not as some…masturbation fantasies.”

“I am not stupid, Don,” Mikey pouted. “Just because I think they are kinda hot, I will not bend over in a fight and beg them to take me.”

Donatello could not help but chuckle at the thought.

“Though that might confuse them enough for me to sneak up on them and knock them out,” he joked but turned serious again: “I know that you’re not stupid, Mikey. I... I am sorry, of course you will focus in a fight or during a mission. I should know that. You are the best partner in crime one can wish for.”

“Thanks, Don!” The younger brother beamed at the praise.

“You’re welcome, partner,” Donnie smiled, putting an arm around Mikey as they went to the kitchen where April just ordered pizza because she had burned the chicken she had planned for dinner.

 

*

 

It took them a while to escape the ventilation shaft. It was surprisingly sturdy and they did not want to damage their weapons. But it was not easy to find a good angle for kicking with regard to their crouching positions. Finally Raphael’s anger had released enough adrenaline to destroy the attachments and the flap fell to the desk beneath them with a clunk.

“That lil’ shit got us pretty good!” the hotheaded turtle fumed when they went down the old stairs. “If I get ma hands on him…”

“He was right though,” Leonardo said grimly. “I was so proud of having spotted the traces at the ventilation flap that I did not check the more obvious hiding spots.”

“Not the first time he tricked us,” Raphael grumbled.

“Well, yes,” the older brother said. “Not only is he a brilliant hacker and burglar, he obviously is street-smart as well.”

“No surprise here! Thieves usually are.”

“That much is true,” Leo sighed.

“And that’s what they are, right?” the turtle in red asked rhetorically, a curious expression on his face. “Thieves.”

“What does that mean, Raphael?” the eldest sighed. “Don’t beat around the bush.”

They stepped outside, cold night air greeting them. The emerald green turtle finally spoke as they started their way home.

“They are JUST thieves,” he explained. “I know ya wanna fight all sorts of crime but those lil’ pricks are slippery. We spent a whole lotta time during the last year chasing ‘em. Ya ask me? That time’d be betta spent on hunting thugs, rapists or killers. Ya know, dangerous people…”

“So, we just give up and let them steal?”

“It’s not that they steal from orphanages and homeless charities. Ya know, that genius had a point: Those rich company guys are a buncha liars and frauds.”

The brothers slipped in a dark side-street where they knew a sewer entrance.

“Still, it’s not right!” The blue-banded turtle insisted irritated while lifting the manhole cover. “We can’t allow them to further break the law just because it is a little harder to catch them.”

After finishing his task he turned to his brother who had his arms crossed and wore an amused expression.

“Is that it, Fearless?” he grinned. “Those two lil’ thieves got under yer skin, eh? Evading the great Leonardo again and again.”

Leonardo glared at Raphael, opening his mouth but closing it again without speaking. Instead he turned his gaze down the sewer entrance furrowing his eye ridges. Wordlessly he started climbing down, but his younger brother was not done yet.

“Guess tanight didn’t make it any betta, huh?” he taunted while following his leader into the darkness of the tunnels beneath New York. “Not only didya not catch him, he caught ya!”

“I will not discuss why it is right to hunt down criminals,” Leonardo hissed while leading the way home.

“’M talking priorities, Fearless!” Raph said. “Dontya think ‘tis more important ta get rid of those who actually hurt people? Those two neva did, didn’t even knock out a security guy or something.”

“I…I…fine! Okay? Yes!” The turtle in blue threw his arms in the air in defeat. “It bugs me, okay? We are highly trained, we are extremely disciplined, well, I am, but you are somewhat disciplined and two little thieves make fools out of us.”

“’M always glad ta see the normal person that lives inside ya, big brother!” The red-banded brawler laughed. “Hey! ‘Tis me! I of all people understand how pride and anger can make ya fawget everything else!”

“I guess you do.” Leonardo chuckled. “So what now?”

“Tell ya what, Fearless,” Raphael suggested. “I won’t say another word about hunting those two under three conditions. Number one: We won’t go easy on the violent criminals out there. They have ta be our top priority.”

“I agree,” the older brother nodded.

“Number two:” the younger’s expression became even more serious. “If we catch ‘em, we hand ‘em over ta the Utroms, not ta Bishop, he’s a fucking nutjob!”

“Of course!” Leonardo immediately responded. He shuddered at the thought of the FBI agent they had an uneasy alliance with. Bishop and the Utroms both were possibilities for them to give criminal mutants to. The latter would sentence them by their civilized laws with some regard to common moral systems on earth. But Bishop? Even though the agent had seen some reason in the last years, the Hamatos doubted a mutant would prosper in his care. They had never handed the criminal mutants they caught over to Bishop. Except for one: Faustus. Not knowing his real name, they knew that the mutant jackal had raped and murdered several girls between 16 and 19. Some of them he had killed with Leonardo and Raphael already on his trail so that they had found the bodies. By an unspoken agreement between the brothers the older had called Bishop the night they had finally caught him.

“I don’t think we will ever again catch someone I would want to see in Bishop’s clutches,” Leonardo assured. “What’s condition number 3?”

Now Raphael smirked.

“Yer gonna admit here and now that this ain’t ‘bout justice, Bushido or crime fighting,” he said pointing his fingers at the blue-masked turtle while stepping in his brother’s personal space. “Yer just pissed as hell and wanna wipe that grin outta the goofball’s face and wanna see the smart one lose that calm composure of his!”

Leonardo crossed his arms defensively, purposely looking in the other direction. But after a while he cast his brother a side glance and reflected his smirk.

“I am pissed as hell and want to wipe the grin out of the goofball’s face and want to see the smart one lose that calm composure of his!” he repeated Raphael’s word.

“See? Ya got yerself a deal!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it so far. This idea came to me pretty spontaneous and I just started writing. Rating, warnings, pairings might all change.  
> As always I am very interested in your opinion. :)


	2. Gotcha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took a while. My computer is broken and getting my old notebook to work for the interim was a little complicated. ;)

When Leonardo and Raphael entered the lair, their father was already waiting. The old rat tried to look stern, but the relief on his face was clearly visible and undermined this task.

“My sons! What took you so long?” he asked. “We were worried.”

“Sorry, Sensei!” Leonardo bowed before Master Splinter. “We witnessed a burglary and tried to catch the culprit. But… he tricked and trapped us.”

“Trapped you?” The rat rose his brows. “Are you hurt?”

“Nah, father!” Raphael grinned. “A few scratches on Leo’s pride, that’s all!”

The blue masked turtle sighed at his brother’s teasing but did not further address it, instead answered his father’s question himself: “No, we are unharmed.”

“That is the most important thing for a father to hear,” Splinter smiled and gestured them to follow.

“You said ‘we were worried’, Sensei,” Leonardo spoke. “Who else?”

As if to answer his question a huge mutant alligator came out of the kitchen carrying two mugs of tea.

“You are back, my friends!” he said in his friendly deep voice. “I am glad to find you alright!”

“Leatherhead came to help with the broken heater and when he saw my distress at your unexpected delay, he decided to keep me company.” With a grateful look the old rat took the cups from their big friend’s hand and placed them on the living room table.

“Thank you for that, Leatherhead,” Leonardo said. “Maybe you should re-think your decision about moving here. There would be enough room for your equipment here and you could study those Elynthian crystals that fascinate you much easier.”

“Leo’s right, LH!” Raphael nodded. “It’s kinda weird anyway that ya found this place when ya saved us from that mousers and yer the one living in that stuffy hole that’s left of our old lair.”

“You needed more space than me,” the alligator answered humbly. “And I do not want to intrude in your family life.”

“You are family to us, my friend,” Master Splinter’s gentle voice joined the discussion. “Our home should be your’s as well. Without your technical skills this place would still be cold and dark. And without your guidance my sons could not cook a decent meal if their lives depended on it.”

The two turtles chuckled at the last sentence.

“Plus,” Leonardo added. “It would ease our minds to know our father is not alone when we are out. You’d be doing us a bigger favor than the other way around.”

“I… I guess, I…” Leatherhead hesitated. When the Hamatos had offered him to move in the first time, it had been obvious that he would like to. But it always was the big mutant’s greatest fear to be a bother to anyone, especially his closest friends. So Leonardo and Splinter in an unspoken agreement made sure that Leatherhead felt like he would be giving something back.

“You see, my friend” Splinter took over again. “The mutual beneficial character of this arrangement is obvious.”

“There are some projects I should finish before starting to move my equipment around, but afterwards…” The alligator’s mind seemed to wander, his eyes looking at Leo but staring through him and the Hamatos smiled at each other. They would all feel better knowing their friend was closer by.

“Ya do that and then we’ll help ya move it,” Raph winked at him. “Do ya have time for a little side project?“

“Side project?”

The other three at the table looked at the red masked turtle who pulled a phone out of his belt and threw it towards Leatherhead who easily caught it. The device had a normal size but was formed like a small turtle carapace.

“What’s that?” Leo asked.

“Donatello lost it,” Raphael explained. “It’s secured of course but maybe LH can hack it and we’ll get some more information about that genius and his partner!”

“That is great, Raph,” the older brother smiled. “I did not see him lose it.”

“Yeah, I believe that,” the younger smirked. “Ya were ta busy being at his tail!”

At that Splinter rose his brows and Leatherhead’s eyes widened. Leonardo blushed furiously and hurried to say: “Raphael is talking figuratively! I… I was running after the thief. I was not… literally at his tail!”

“But at one point ya were preeetty close ta his tail.” The red-banded turtle bathed in his brother’s embarrassment. “And that was when he struggled for a sec and lost that lil’ thingy!”

“I will see what I can do, my friends,” Leatherhead promised. “But what I have heard of this Donatello from you my skills might not rival his.”

“Ya worked with the Utroms, LH!”

“Yes, and the thief we are talking about once hacked their system and to this day they did not find out how exactly he did that.”

“Trying is all we ask,” Leonardo smiled at the alligator before his face took on an expression of grim determination: “With or without that phone, we will find him.”

If Leatherhead and Splinter were wondering why Leonardo took this so personally, they did not show it. And Raphael, for now obviously satisfied with the level of his older brother’s embarrassment, said nothing more.

With regard to the time Leatherhead finished his cup rather fast and excused himself, leaving the Hamatos to themselves.

 

*

 

Even though it was late, Leonardo did not go straight to bed. Instead he turned on his candles and placed himself in the lotus position on his rug. An hour of meditation would allow a deeper and therefor more restful sleep.

Controlling his breathing, taking in the soft smell of the candles’ smoke, listening to the familiar noises of the nightly lair, he cleared his mind. Like fog lifting from a broad meadow all his thoughts and memories rushed into the back of his mind – almost all of his thoughts and memories.

There still was the echo of the two screws Donatello fastened, his chocolate brown eyes staring at him through the grid and his voice explaining how he had tricked him.

_“I knew you’d be observant enough to notice the missing screws and be so pleased with yourself that you’d not check the rest of the room.”_

_The voice was like warm honey, soft and sweet. The thief did not ridicule, mock or tease Leonardo with those words. He was only stating a fact. The fact that he had seen right through Leonardo and caught him with his own vanity and pride. He did not gloat about it or rub it in. It was like he saw it as nothing special to have tricked Leonardo, like it was bound to happen. Like there had never been another possible outcome._

_Before he left the thief's voice even adapted a lecturing tone when he said: “You do know that these companies have been stealing secrets from each other since they exist, right? My ‘victim’ of tonight has been the culprit often enough. Just as my client was the victim several times. I am just a well-paid pawn in their decade old game of chess!”_

Barely suppressing a low growl the blue-masked turtle almost snapped out of his introspection. Sometimes it did happen during meditation that his mind would show him memories or visions instead of going completely blank. But usually those pictures were helpful. Calmed him. Showed him a solution to a problem. But this one only rubbed salt into an open wound, cementing his anger without giving him any idea how to deal with this issue.

He already knew all this, had even admitted it to Raphael who had seen the lesions in the older's pride and assured his support despite the less than reasonable motivation. Maybe that was the problem? That he tried his usual rational methods to achieve an irrational goal? The harm those two thieves did was indeed minimal. They did not steal from the poor, they never used physical force – not even if attacked – hell, they did not even wreck up the places they stole from. They most likely would never have shown up on the Hamatos's radar because of their crimes alone. By chance the two pairs had stumbled upon each other one night.

 

_“Let's go home, Fearless!” Raphael's gruff voice sounded from behind him. “Saki an' Karai are in Japan so the foot‘re layin' low. And the Dragon's 're pro'bly still sore from the last beating we gave 'em.”_

_“You are too self-assured, little brother,” Leonardo admonished but smiled._

_“Nah, yer ass is ta full of stick...”_

_“Colorful!”_

_“Yeah, I'm an artist with words.” Chuckling the brawler stepped closer to his brother. “We going or what?”_

_“Just a second.” The older's eyes were fixed on a window of an office building across the street and suddenly he asked: “Did you see that?”_

_“Nah, I saw nothin',” the turtle in red sighed. “I guess because there is nothing.”_

_“Yes, there is,” Leonardo insisted. “I see someone moving in that office.”_

_“That's the Quartermain Building, Leo! If anyone's movin' in there without triggering the alarm, he's allowed ta be in there!”_

_“When someone's working late, they would turn on the light,” retorted the leader. “And would they not need the computer? Working in darkness without the PC? Sounds unlikely!”_

_“Yeah, yeah, awright, Fearless! Ya got a point. Let's get closer.”_

_Rushing over the rooftops, the Hamato brothers found an outlook spot on the parking deck connected to the office building. Exactly the same level as the window in question it provided a good view on the office behind._

_Being closer now and getting used to the lighting conditions, both brothers could see that behind the desk stood a shadowy figure. Somewhat to the left slightly leaning down was another pulling open what seemed to be a safe’s door. The shadow closed it again soon after and gestured towards the window. The other opened it and Leonardo and Raphael could hear them talk._

_“Weird! That little one took you longer than the huge one in the hotel, Donnie,” said a cheerful voice. “Guess size really isn't everything, huh?”_

_There was no answer, but soon two dark figures climbed out of the window towards the alley below. Leonardo gave a sign and the Hamatos both used their grappling hooks to slide down the parking block, arriving on the ground only a few seconds before the burglars. Yet they were not much less surprised._

_They were looking at two mutant turtles, just like themselves. A little shorter than them and less muscular but definitely of their kind. One of them, a leafgreen turtle, wore an orange mask and two pair of nunchuks in his belt, big blue eyes looking stunned at the unexpected company. The second one, an olive skinned turtle with deep brown eyes and a purple mask, had lost his surprised expression after the fracture of a second and looked almost contemplative now. On his back he carried a bo staff._

_“Uhm... Hi?” The orange-banded one finally broke the silence. “I'm Mikey, this is...”_

_“Silence!” Leonardo ordered when he found his composure again. “Hand over the stolen goods and surrender!”_

_“Ehm, what?” Mikey asked amused._

_“You heard me, thief!”_

_“Look, dude, we got no quarrel with you...,” the leafgreen turtle tried again._

_“But we have 'quarrel' with you if you break the law!”_

_“Seriously?” The young thief now wore the broadest grin Leonardo had ever seen and it infuriated him to the bone._

_“Dead serious,” the blue-masked Hamato hissed. “Now hand over what you stole!”_

_“I...” Mikey started to speak again, but was interrupted by the turtle in purple who rose his hand in a placating manner._

_From his belt he plucked a small pouch and stepped forward, placing himself between Leonardo and Mikey. When he was about to open the bag, the latter spoke._

_“I don't know, Don, we worked pretty hard for it...”_

_“Since you'll be imprisoned, you won't get to keep it anyway,” Leonardo stated matter-of-factly._

_The one called Don rose his hands again in surrender, casting the turtle in blue a questioning look with his big brown eyes. Leo gestured him to open the pouch and the other nodded, turning his gaze down to the piece of cloth in his hands._

_At first he fiddled very carefully at the texture, but suddenly he ripped it open and the last thing the oldest Hamato saw was another flash of the chocolate eyes before a blinding white light took his sight._

_Accompanied by his own sound of pain and his brother's curses the voice of the orange-masked thief sounded muffled in the distance._

_“Ouuuuuch, bro, you could've warned me! We need a code for that! Aaargh! Don't let go of my hand, dude! Aw, man, I hope the payment is worth it...”_

 

With a gasp Leonardo came out of his meditation.Of course, the payment! Together the two memories had been helpful. Donatello had hinted that whatever he had stolen tonight he meant to sell to the owner's greatest rival. They had seen the thief jump out of an office building from Kemperton Enterprises which meant only Stockman Enterprises could be Donatello's client.

Stockman was no stranger to the mutant community and was known to hire them personally if it seemed worth his time. He had helped the Hamatos against Oroku Saki once, saving their father and ensuring his own freedom from the sinister clanleader. That did not make them friends. They left each other alone, letting both parties rest easier. So it might be unwise to disturb the deliverance of the stolen goods. But after Stockman got his order and Donatello his payment, they could strike. The thief would be more relaxed and unsuspecting after the deal anyway.

Leonardo smiled.

 

*

 

Stockman's office was only illuminated by his small desk lamp, but still Donatello preferred to linger near the door where a huge bookshelf blocked the view towards and – more importantly – from the window. After a while the middle aged black man sighed and got up to close the blinds.

“I prefer to do my exchanges at the desk like a business man not inbetween the frames of my door like a pizza delivery man,” he joked, grinning at the turtle who stepped in as soon as the shades were drawn.

“My brother would not stand for you questioning the honorable character of that occupation – or any pizza related occupation,” Don quipped back.

“And neither would I dare to do so.” Baxter Stockman moved his right hand to his heart in theatrical gesture. “We all know that one day scientists will save the world but until then it will be the humble pizza man who keeps us all from starving before that day even comes.”

Donatello could not help but return the man's smile. He really should not like this client. Stockman wasan opportunist, 'chaotic neutral' at best and in the face of a scientific breakthrough or a chance at money and/or power the man would most likely forsake everything else. But still the smart turtle could not deny to feel a certain connection to the human who had shown much appreciation to science, knowledge, education and technology. Both not knowing how, their first meeting had lead to an interesting conversation going past the subject of their business. Also they shared a certain dry sense of humour, another reason they had formed a connection so fast.

Now the dark-skinned man took the USB-Stick from Donatello and connected it with his laptop. After a while he rose his eye brows.

“None of this was encrypted?” he asked.

“It was, Sir,” Donnie responded. “I took the freedom to crack the code for you. I assumed that it would suit you fine.”

“It does! Thank you!” the inventor assured. “I was just surprised to get more than I paid for. You can imagine that does not happen too often.”

The turtle smiled.

“You are an appreciated client, Dr. Stockman.”

“And you are an appreciated freelancer,” Stockman laughed and after he while he added: “Did you think about my offer about becoming an appreciated employee? I have many facilities where noone would bat an eye at your appearance. And I'd make sure that you would be treated as an equal by everyone.”

“I... did not have time to discuss this with my family.”

“I see,” the human said. “Keep in mind that my offer includes them as well. Michelangelo's... role in your team might still be a mystery to me but I am sure I can find a job for him that suits as well as fullfils him. As for your sister: I don't think I have to tell you how far someone with her combination of brains and looks can get in life.”

Donatello nodded. Once more he was reminded of how much harder April's life was due to her mutant brothers. Sure, she had never known it any differently, being born only a few days before their late father had saved the two mutated baby turtles. After their parents' untimely death she could have taken the easy way out, leave her brothers behind, let an officially announced guardian take care of her until she was of age and then start into a normal life. Being as intelligent and beautiful as she was, the world probably would have been at her feet. But that thought had never crossed her mind. Don and Mikey had kept quiet back then, for one out of grief, for second not spoil her chance at happiness.

But it had been her, falling to her knees, crying and begging Donatello to come up with something, anything so they could stay together. The turtle smiled at the memory. Not a millisecond had passed before that mischievious smile had crept on her face after he had told her that crazy plan of his.

“Don't be hasty in your decision.” Stockman's voice pulled Donnie back to the here and now. “I am willing to wait for competent employees!”

“Thank you,” Donatello only responded before asking after a while: “I assume our payment will be done the usual way?”

“All done!” Stockman smiled. “You will have it in an hour. With a bonus. For the decoding - I insist!”

“Thank you,” the turtle said again.

The two scientists then shook hands and left the office. Near the elevator they met with Mikey who had been studying the posters at the walls.

“All good?” the orange-banded turtle asked with a grin.

“Indeed,” Stockman nodded. “You know you are welcome to join us during our business conversations? You do not have to loiter in the hallways.”

“Nah, it's fine, dude!” Michelangelo shrugged. “I would probably get bored. And if I get bored, I accidentally break stuff sometimes.”

“The semantics of 'accidentally' and 'sometimes' being very vague here,” Donatello deadpanned, earning himself a confused look from his brother and a chuckle from Stockman.

The human accompanied the brothers to the roof's door, opening it for them, before thanking them once more and bidding them good night.

When they were alone, they fell into each others arms, jumping up and down.

“Dude, so much money!” Mikey exclaimed. “We will be okay, right?”

“Yes, we will!” Donnie nodded full of confidence. “Let's go home! April's been anxious about something going wrong at the last minute. Should I sent her text beforehand or...?

“Nah, it's better if her two favorite brothers tell her everything in person!”

Laughing and cheering they jumped across several roofs before finally sliding down a fire escape towards an alley near the parking spot of their van.

“Dude, that is so amazing!” the younger turtle said for the fifth time as they walked towards the main street. “We should totally have a party and...!”

“Not sure, yer gonna be in tha mood fer that, orange...,” a dark voice with a thick brooklyn accent sounded from above and after the blink of an eye two dark shadows jumped from the balconies above them, blocking the way to the van.

Once more Donatello and Michelangelo were faced with the crimefighting mutant turtles Leonardo and Raphael, weapons drawn, and while his little brother loudly whined “You two again? Why?”, Donatello stayed calm. They had escaped them before and they would now.

 

*

 

Satisfied Leonardo took in the surprise on Michelangelo's but especially on Donatello's face.

'Gotcha' He could not help thinking as well as he could not avoid the small smile tugging at his lips. As expected the purple-masked thief had collected himself very fast but the other one seemed to be on the verge of panic. His accomplice noticed, too.

“Calm down, Mikey,” he said, drawing his bo staff. “They don't want to kill us!”

“How come yer so sure of that, sweet cheeks?” Raphael taunted, obviously trying to keep the orange-banded turtle in his weakened state.

Both Hamatos wore a smug expression and even though the young leafgreen turtle managed to draw his weapons he was still shaking, for the first time being cornered in such a close space by the other turtles.

“Yes,” Leonardo chimed in with a cold voice. “We ambushed you here with our blades ready and you say we don't want to kill you?”

But Donatello was not intimidated. He tilted his head, rose his eye ridges and looked at his opponents as if fascinated by their ignorance. And then he spoke again in a maddening patient voice:

“It is not the first or the second time we meet. We have seen you fight us and others. I saw you, Raphael, throwing a sai at a Purple Dragon, effectively pinning his hand to a wooden crate. You could have used that remarkable aim to keep us from fleeing several times. But we were jumping and flipping around rooftops, it might have caused one of us to fall to his death.”

“One night you, Leonardo, had the choice to either kill me or let me escape and despite your irrational, almost manic, fixation on us, you chose the latter. So that's how I am sure that you have not only no interest in our deaths, you actually try to avoid it.”

Both Hamatos looked stunned at the patiently delivered explanation that seemed to be directed at some children. Leonardo fought the rising anger and kept a close look at Donatello in case he would use their confusion to charge. He did not. Michelangelo did. As it seemed the genius' words had calmed him just as they had infuriated Leonardo. Before Raphael could process it, the chains of the orange-banded thief's weaponswere tangled around his blades. It did not take much effort for the turtle in red to free them but not before Michelangelo had pulled him a few steps aside so that he and Leonardo were further away from each other.

But the blue-masked turtle noticed that and wasted no time to charge at Donatello to make sure he could not make a breakthrough. Behind his back he could hear sounds, metall colliding and singing, and voices, threatening and taunting, telling of a rather lively fight. His match against the turtle in purple was nothing like that. Donatello never attacked, he blocked, parried, dodged but never took an aggressive stance. Ever so often his eyes would flick to the side, looking passed Leonardo at the two other fighters.

“When in combat you should focus on your own fight not on those of others.” Leonardo tried to deliver that line calmly despite his irritation.

“An astute advice, indeed,” the other turtle confirmed.

“Then how about you start to really fight me, Donatello?” the oldest Hamato challenged. “I am sure you can do better than that!”

“Why would I?” the genius asked nonchalantly. “I do not stand a chance against you, Leonardo. Why would I exhaust myself by putting more energy into a fight I cannot win either way?”

Again he did not mock the other turtle. His statement was honest, his question not sarcastic. Especially the acknowledgement of Leonardo's superiority in a fight caused mixed feelings in the blue-masked turtle.

After a while Donatello's gaze wandered to Raphael and Michelangelo again. All of a sudden there was a strange flash in the genius' eyes, but before Leo could react, the thief called out:

“Emerald, Skylla, Garrett!”

Apparantely those words were meant for the thief‘s accomplice and Leonardo could not process them fast enough, let alone grasp their meaning.

Michelangelo unfortunately did. Soon enough Raphael's gruff voice sounded through the alley in surprise: “What the fuck are ya doing at ma...argh!”

The next second Leonardo's vision was filled with dark grey smoke. Welping in shock, he started to cough while hurried footsteps faded away, along with two voices:

“Dude, that was awesome! We need our own smokebombs!”

“Shut up and run, Mikey!”

When the smoke faded, the alley was abandoned. Running towards the main street, the Hamatos looked down the road just in time to see an undescript dark grey van take a sharp turn to the right three blocks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Share your thoughts! :)


	3. Moving Pictures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter is mostly an insight in the characters‘ family life. The next chapter will have more action, I promise. But I do believe that these are important informations about our „Knights and Thieves“. ;)

Before Raphael could free his weapons from the thief's nunchucks, the orange-masked turtle had managed to pull him away from Leonardo. Convinced that his older brother would have no troubles with Donatello, Raph decided to focus on Michelangelo. Twisting both his sai simultaneously he had them out of the chains very fast. Quickly he jumped to the left, making sure to stand between the thief and his escape route.

Michelangelo seemed unfazed. After his accomplice's little speech his nervousness was gone. With a grin he jumped back and started to whirl his weapons. But instead of attacking, he started moving from side to side in an irregular pattern, never losing this smirk. And of course he started talking. That one ALWAYS talked. Why did Leo get the silent genius every time?

“You know, dude,” the thief said. “Don't feel bad about my brother looking into your head. He does that with everyone. Always knows when I stole from his chocolate stash.”

Even though Raph tried to ignore his opponent's words to focus on finding a chance to attack, he met the other turtle's eyes for a moment.

“So, yer brothers?” Raph tried to go low and land a hit on Michelangelo's legs but the thief in orange saw him coming and only Raphael's instincts saved him from a hit with a nunchuck. At the last second his sai's blade collided with the kikon-bu of the other's weapon. Dexterously the red-banded turtle jumped back again.

“Well, duh,” Michelangelo rolled his eyes. “Then again, I cannot blame you. I am wayyyy more handsome. I got the looks, he's got the brains.”

A leap to the side, a feint with the right sai, easily blocked, a swing with the left sai, barely dodged but at the cost of balance. Michelangelo stumbled back and found his stance at the last second. He dropped one of his nunchuks, quickly grabbing the handle of the remaining. At hair's breadth he stopped his opponent's weapon with the chain. But now Raphael had him against the wall and slowly the red-banded's greater strength started to pay off. More and more he pressed the nunchuk's kusari closer towards the thief's chest while holding it down with his own weapon's handle.

“I dun know.” Raph could not help grinning. “He looks pretty cute ta me.”

“Sure, he does,” Michelangelo pressed out between labored breaths. “Everyone half as cute as me is still super-cute.”

“Cuteness won't win yer fights, honey!” the brawler said smugly. “How 'bout ya drop yer weapon and surrender. Then I dun havta cut yer pretty face.”

“You think I' m pretty?” Despite his predicament Michelangelo's smirk was back and he was batting eye lashes with those sapphire orbs surrounded by the orange mask.

“Don't try that on me,” Raph growled. “I ain't stupid, ya know!”

“Of course not!”

All of a sudden Michelangelo stopped his resistance. The turtle in red fell against him and his sai's handles collided with the thief's plastron. The two turtles' noses were touching now and Raph had an even better look on or – now better – in the deep blue eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind he noticed some cute freckles around the other's nose and the sweet smell of candy.

“Emerald, Skylla, Garrett!” The voice of the purple-banded thief sounded through the alley and startled Raphael.

“That's my cue!” Michelangelo grinned. Ramming his knee into the distracted hothead's plastron, he pulled his nunchuk away with his right hand, effectively hauling Raph to the side. But instead of taking the chance to bail, the thief's left hand reached for his opponent's belt.

“What the fuck are ya doing at ma......?” Raphael roared at the turtle in orange, but as he saw that the thief somehow had managed to steal one of his smoke-bombs, he could only let out one more cry of anger before dark grey surrounded him.

By instinct he pulled up his weapons to protect himself, holding them in front of him. He heard a slight hiss followed by the scrap of wood on concrete. Probably the thief had collected his dropped weapon. Hasty footsteps told him of the two thieves' retreat.

“Dude, that was awesome! We need our own smokebombs!”

“Shut up and run, Mikey!”

 

*

 

In the lair Raphael was surprised to meet Leatherhead again. The mutant alligator was busy at a kitchen wall where he had layed open a couple of wires.

“LH!” The turtle in red greeted him and laughed. “Ya should definitely move here. It's easier ta repair our stuff then. What broke this time?”

“Nothing, my friend,” Leatherhead answered with a smile. “But your little misadventure in the old school reminded me of the landline I had planned to install for you. Once done it can be called by your phones, only them unfortunately. Integrating it in the public line would be to risky. But you can inform your father about delays or call him for help then. It will ease his mind.”

“Great,” Raphael smiled gratefully. “Father could have gotten us out of that ventilation shaft in no time.”

“They never used smoke-bombs before,” Leonardo suddenly growled.

“What?” Leatherhead and Raph looked at the turtle in blue in confusion.

“The thieves!” he seethed. “If they have smoke-bombs why did they never before use them?“

“Okay,” the younger brother answered. “Please don't freak out 'bout this, but... 'T was mine.”

“What? Why would you...”

“He stole it from ma belt. Don't ask me how he knew 't was there, but...”

“Donatello,” Leonardo interrupted, the cold tone of his voice attesting for the barely tameable rage. “He said that he had seen us fight before so he probably had seen you use them and knew where you carry them. That explains why he kept glancing at you and Michelangelo fighting – he waited for a situation in which his accomplice had a chance to steal it.”

“Brother.”

“What?”

“Michelangelo and Donatello aren't just accomplices,” Raphael explained. “They're brothers. At least that's what Orange said...”

“You were supposed to capture him, not to have a chat with him!” Leonardo threw his hands in the air, exasperated.

“Hey!” The brawler was not going to have that. “Ya try get close ta that one and NOT have a chat. Well, a very one-sided chat 'cause he ALWAYS chats. He even kept talkin' with ma weapons a few inches from his throat!”

“Okay, okay!” The older made a placating gesture. “I am sorry. It's just frustrating. We had them cornered, we are better fighters, they should be disarmed, tied up and on their way to the TCRI building with us now!”

“Yeah, they didn't get that memo,” Raph muttered before asking: “Hey, didya get what Purple was yelling?”

“Some sort of secret code between them, I suppose.” Leonardo shrugged. “'Emerald, Skylla, Garrett'. I don't know what that means.”

“Skylla and Charybdis are two mythological creatures who each guard one side of a narrow channel,” Leatherhead explained. “Even though it would depend from which direction a ship would arrive, Skylla often is said to guard the right shore.”

“My right belt pocket...,” Raphael realized.

Leonardo nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, and I guess 'emerald' is their code for you.” The leader could not help a small grin. “Your skin color!”

“Hey, that's actually flattering!” the turtle in red laughed. “I am important enough to have my own codeword.”

“And you are a real gem...”

“Funny, Fearless, funny!”

Suddenly Leatherhead frowned and his eyes found a spot on Raphael's legs.

“Were you hurt?” he asked.

“What? Why?” The hothead followed his friend's gaze and saw what had caught the alligator's attention: A small trail of now dried blood adhered to his upper leg. A closer look showed that it had dropped from one of his weapons.

 

*

 

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Mikey whined. “You know that this stuff hurts more than the cut?”

“Yes, but it will prevent an infection. It is necessary, sorry,” Donnie said patiently and softly, while gently applying disinfectant to the wound on his brother's arm. But then his voice turned cold: “I will find that stupid musclehead and poison his steroids.”

“That was not on purpose, Don,” the wounded thief said. “It was after I threw the smoke-bomb. He could not see anything.”

“Are you defending these jerks now?” Donatello asked in disbelief. “For no reason they've been harassing us for months now. Maybe Conan the Barbarian did not mean to wound you but that would not have happened if he and Sir Galahad just left us alone!”

“Sir Who?”

“Forget it,” the purple-banded turtle sighed.

They were still sitting in the van hidden in a dark side-street and waited for April. Donnie had called her, wanting her to drive the vehicle home. He and Mikey would hide in the back. As far as they knew the Hamatos did not know about her and would not follow a van driven by her.

“He's got awesome eyes...,” Michelangelo suddenly broke the silence, grinning broadly.

“Pardon me?”

“Raphael,” the prankster specified. “Golden eyes! Like the sun... Isn't that amazing? And man, that muscles and he smells so...”

“Mikey!” Donatello interrupted him harshly. “Please tell me you do not fall for that dumb beefcake.”

“I don't think he's dumb!” Mikey bit back. “Just because someone is not as smart as you...”

“Not really the point here!”

“Then why'd you bring it up?”

“Okay, forget any comment about his intellect.” The genius rolled his eyes. “The point is that he and his holier-than-thou brother want to capture us. And we don't know what they plan to do to us. So it does not matter if their eyes are an amazing sun-golden or stunning ice-blue because they are danger...”

“Ha! You noticed the other's eyes, too!” Mikey exclaimed triumphantly.

“Yeah, I did,” Donnie answered dryly. “Because they have too often been too close to me!”

“Close and 'stunning',” the younger brother grinned. “Just quoting...”

“I just...”

A loud banging on the van's backdoor shocked the O'Neil brothers, interrupting their argument.

“Guys, it's me,” April's voice came muffled through the metall.

Donatello let her in and she immediately rushed towards Mikey.

“Hey, how are you?” she asked worriedly. “Don says they hurt you!”

“Just a little cut,” Mikey mumbled. “And it wasn't on...”

“That stupid jerks!” she grouched. “I'm gonna...”

“...poison their steroids?” the turtle in orange sighed.

“I was thinking more bloody to be honest but that'll work, too!” she smiled. “Let's get you guys home. I'll make hot chocolate and you tell me everything.”

The two turtles nodded and by silent agreement decided to put their argument aside for their sister's sake. The drive home went smoothly. Michelangelo leaned against the cool metal of the van, thinking of fiery golden eyes and a sexy smug smile.

 

*

 

Leonardo's mood had improved only slightly the next morning and Raphael did his best to avoid his older brother's gaze. He did not really want to be interrogated about his fight against the orange-masked thief again. The orange-masked thief who had really beautiful eyes, extremely cute freckles and felt surprisingly good when pressed against Raphael's body.

Nonono, don't get a boner at the breakfast table! The hothead groaned inwardly. But it had been a while since someone had come so close to Raphael physically. The turtles kept away from the humans here on Earth and the mutants of New York did not trust them so whenever Raphael did have sex, he was in the Battle Nexus, either for the matches or to visit the Daimyo who was a close friend to his father. But the last trip there had been month ago and so had been his last fling with an admirer or fellow fighter. And those two thieves were enticing. Not only were they the first mutant turtles except for Leonardo he had ever seen in person, Raphael also liked their smaller builds and their sweeter smells. And while he agreed with Leonardo that Donatello's calm behavior was infuriating, Raph could not help that it had him wondering what is was like to make him scream. And Michelangelo's playful attitude had him imagining how adventurous the little thief would be in certain other aspects of life. Last night's event led him to believe that it would be very interesting to find out...

“My son?” His father's concerned voice pulled the brawler out of his thoughts.

“Hmmm?”

“Your brother asked you a question!” Splinter said. “Are you alright? Is there something on your mind?”

“Yes! No! I mean, yes, I'm aw‘right. No, nothing on ma mind!” He stuttered. “Just tired!”

“I asked you for any other idea how to find Michelangelo and Donatello!” Leonardo said impatiently.

“Ya forgot 'bout the phone, bro?” Raph grinned. “Let's finish breakfast an' go bother LH – again.”

“The phone, of course!” Leonardo's face lit up a little bit. “Maybe Leatherhead found something on it.”

From now on breakfast was not exactly relaxed. The turtle in blue had finished his meal within minutes and afterwards he kept staring at his younger brother, silently urging him to hurry. Raphael preferred to start his day slowly but in hopes of getting Leonardo in a better mood he rolled his eyes and bolted his own food as well.

 

*

 

Donnie always made fun of April as a cook. But Mikey liked her cooking. When she tried do make something more complicated than scrambled eggs she usually messed up and then ordered pizza which was awesome. But even better: She never messed up sweets. Cakes, cookies, selfmade candy, pancakes, she was the master of sugary food – and drinks! Even her hot chocolate was better than any other Michelangelo ever had tasted.

Even though his wound was small and he barely felt it anymore, he let his sister pamper him with food, drink and affection. First of all because it was nice, second of all to keep her around so that Don would not start their discussion again. Mikey had a thing for Raphael. So what? He was not going to surrender because of that. But was it so wrong to hope that one day they could form some sort of treaty? There were not many mutant turtles around (in fact Mikey had only heard of others than them before meeting the Hamatos) and it was a shame that the four of them could not be allies. Of course he knew that this was most likely never going to happen but a boy could dream, right? And golden eyes, a muscular emerald body and a deep manly voice were not the worst dream material.

Michelangelo had never understood how his older brother could be so content without any sort of physical release. They knew a lot of mutants who were – as Donatello himself phrased it – “biologically compatible” with them and Mikey had more than once taken advantage of that. His brother however chose to live as a monk. Not that he did not have any choices. They could not walk through “The closet”, a hidden mutant bar, or the mutant community's black market without males and females alike following Don with their stares. But the oblivious genius did not even notice when a person directly in front of him undressed him with the eyes, and flirting attempts went right over his usually smart head. Donatello was 21 now and Michelangelo did not even have a clue about his older brother's sexual preferences.

April understood better. She did have dates and had had a few boyfriends. But in the case of Raphael she would probably take Donnie's side. Over the last month she had gotten annoyed with the Hamatos almost as much as the turtle in purple and now that Mikey was hurt, her „big sister instincts“ had put them on the blackest of lists.

Unsurprisingly Michelangelo's dreams starred a certain red-banded turtle on the rooftops as it had been reality quite often. But in his dreams their brothers were not around and their encounter was way friendlier.

He awoke when the sun was already high in the sky. The smell of pancakes filled the apartment and he was quick to brush his teeth and shower. When he felt refreshed, he toweled and went for breakfast.

From the kitchen he heard Don and April speaking and decided to sneak closer. Sometimes the two would talk in secrecy about things they wanted to keep from their “little brother”. In fact Donnie was only a few hours older than Mikey and the turtles both had a few weeks on April. But most of the time Don treated her as an equal and his brother as a kid. Carefully he glanced through the gap of the kitchen door.

“Give it a few months, Donnie!” Their sister softly spoke while setting the table. “I'll be able to transfer the money in an unsuspicious way until then. Together we will procure all the needed paperwork and we will have our own place in no time! No more worries about nosy landlords or neighbors. You'll have a better lab, Mikey can have a pet if he wants and we can have a huge gaming room.”

“Sounds good!” Donnie sighed, sipping his coffee.

“If you say 'too good' next I will hit you with the frying pan!”

“What would be worse?” The genius pondered. “The pain or the cliché?”

“Dork!” April grinned and kissed her brother in purple on the cheek. “I'll get Mikey!”

“Did I hear my name?” Michelangelo pushed the door open with a grin and marched in, pretending to have just arrived.

“Yep!” His sister smiled, presenting a plate. “This pancake called for you!”

Michelangelo started to eat and waited for his siblings to resume their conversation about their new home. But obviously it was nothing they wanted to share with him.

 

*

 

“I fear I have mostly bad news and only minor good news, my friends!” Leatherhead spoke. “The sensitive data was overwritten as soon as I tried to get around the locking system. So all GPS data and contacts are lost, I fear.”

Raphael saw his older brother's face fall. To prevent their friend from feeling guilty, he quickly drew the alligator's attention to himself

“Yeah, we kinda expected that ta happen, didn't we?” He said in a tone that he hoped sounded unfazed. “But ya said somethin' 'bout good news.”

“Yes, I could access some self-made videos. On first glance they do not seem highly confidential and I suppose that was Donatello's reason not to worry about hiding them.” Leatherhead explained. “But maybe they contain some information about your thieves that can help you find them.”

“That's something, right, Leo?” Raphael said, nudging his brother and staring at him pointedly in hopes that the turtle in blue would get the hint to not make their friend feel bad.

“Yes, absolutely!” Leonardo hurried to say when he saw the brawler's expression. “A private video, even if short, can give a lot of insight in someone's life. Thank you, Leatherhead!”

“You are most welcome!” The mutant alligator smiled. “I copied the videos to a USB-Stick and I repaired your laptop, Leonardo, so you can watch them there.”

Raphael saw the guilty expression on his older brother's face. It was not like the leader to take Leatherhead's help for granted, his frustration had gotten the better of him. Now reminded that the alligator not only played CSI for them but also took care of daily repairs, Leonardo scratched his head abashed.

“I hope you let us know if it gets too much, Leatherhead” He said. “Are you coming over for tea later?”

“Actually” The alligator said. “I finished all my current projects and if you are still willing to...”

“We are!” Raph and Leo said as one before Leatherhead could change his mind again. The videos could wait. For the rest of the day they helped their friend move his equipment and other property. Finally putting a huge unoccupied room in their lair to good use the alligator set up his workspace and a small sleeping space for himself. It took him a while to wire everything correctly but the main part of their home's power supply had been installed by him so he knew where to find everything.

So it was late in the evening when they finally sat down to view the videos. Leatherhead excused himself, visibly uncomfortable watching private videos other people made. Not that the Hamatos were completely at ease but Leonardo was determinded to find the thieves. Raphael had promised his support and their father seemed to sense an urgency in his eldest‘ quest that made him offer a third pair of eyes. Still, they felt weird and Raphael had to admit that his attempt at humor did not help.

“If they shot their own porn we'll turn it off!” Was met with disapproving looks from both his big brother and his father.

 

The first video was short. It only showed green fingers fumbling around in front of the screen.

 

 _“Donnie!”_ The familiar voice made Raphael shiver, reminding him of sapphire-blue eyes, freckles and the smell of sweets. _“How do you turn the camera on?”_

_“It IS on, Mikey!” Donatello spoke muffled in the background. “Hence the red light!”_

_“Oh...”_

 

_Michelangelo's eyes appeared huge at the screen._

_“This is Michael Angelo, reporter for the Turtle News with an exclusive interview!” The camera turned and showed Donatello lying on a beige sofa, engrossed in a book about mechanics, looking up for a second only to cast an irritated look at the camera._

_“Mikey, why do you always use MY phone for your shenanigans?”_

_“Mr. Tello,” Michelangelo continued unfazed. “How does it feel to be stalked by two super hot ninjas?”_

At that Raphael grinned broadly, but saw Leonardo blush.

_“They're not hot, they're annoying!”_

_“Those are not mutual exclusive, Mr. Tello!” Michelangelo claimed from behind the camera while it got closer to his brother's face. “Take me for exam...hmmph!”_

_The video ended with a pillow flying at the screen._

 

_“Welcome to 'America's got no talent'!” Michelangelo whispered while his blue eyes occupied the whole screen. The camera turned and showed a small corridor with a slightly ajar door at its end. From behind came a female voice singing “Danny Boy” - extremely off-key. Michelangelo's green hand appeared and was about to push the door open but at the last moment three olive-colored fingers appeared on the screen._

_“Mikey” Donatello's voice hissed. “The chances are high she'll burn the fish anyway, it won't get better, if you...” The video cut off._

 

_The same corridor as before appeared on the screen but this time the turtle behind the camera snuck towards a different door which stood open._

_“Welcome back to the 'Overprotective big brother show' starring Don. A. Tello!” Michelangelo said quietly while getting closer._

_“Whatever do you mean by 'skimpy'?” A female spoke and on the screen appeared a small bedroom with Donatello and a young pretty redheaded woman standing in front of an open closet. She was human and wore a purple belly top and a short light brown skirt._

_“Well, if I would have said 'slutty' you would have hit m...ou!” Donatello's voice sounded uncharacteristically agitated and the slap he earned did not stop him. “If you have to wear that top at least choose something to cover your legs!”_

_“Half of them IS covered. And that is not 'slutty', it is 'sexy'”_

_“Oh, and who are you going to see in that 'sexy' outfit?” He air quoted with his fingers._

_“Casey!”_

_“That numbskull?”_

_“He is not a...well, sometimes he is a numbskull but he is funny and sweet.”_

_“He hangs around weird people and places! He seems like trouble!”_

_At that the redhead sighed._

_“Don, we are hackers, thieves and burglars. WE are trouble!”_

_“She has a point!” Michelangelo chimed in._

_“Whose side are you on, Mikey?” The genius frowned._

_“Ehm, on her's? I thought that was obvious...”_

_“Really, you approve of that Jones guy?”_

_“Wait a minute” The redhead said annoyed. “This is not about what you two appr...”_

 

This time it was Leonardo who stopped the video.

“Jones?” He asked.

Raphael stared at the screen. He had been fascinated by this family's life. A normal apartment, with normal furniture, he had seen a computer, a gaming station and a TV in the background. His family had a some of those things, too, but usually self-made for them by Leatherhead. Michelangelo's family obviously could just buy them. Probably thanks to their human “sister”. And their interactions seemed so... normal. This sure was no dark Thieves’ den full of criminals always plotting. But the last video indeed had peeked his interest for other reasons, too.

“First name: Casey, Last name: Jones, occupation: troublesome numbskull.” He summarized.

“It would indeed not be too far-fetched to see your vigilante friend in this description.” Master Splinter worded diplomatically.

“Ya can say that again, Sensei!” Raph laughed. “He was in Northhampton for a couple a day's. Wanted ta be back yesterday.”

“Does he still work the night-shift at TCRI?”

“Sometimes, yeah, but...”

“What?”

“Leo, we've been carrying really heavy stuff around all day.”

“So” Leonardo grinned. “Did that drain all your stamina? _I_ could still go for a midnight run...”

Raphael narrowed his eyes at his brother. Of course he knew what that bastard was doing here – and Leo knew that he knew. But still the younger Hamato could not back down from the challenge.

“Oh, in that case, it ain't no prob, Fearless” He grinned. “I was just worried about ya not getting' 'nough of yer beauty sleep.”

“I assure you, brother dear. I will be fine.”

So, instead of getting some sleep Raphael allowed his brother to drag him to Casey Jones to question their only human friend about his love life at his workplace.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is welcome! :)


	4. Lights out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, yeah! I hope you guys like it.

Leonardo noticed that Raphael was quiet on their way to the TCRI building but it was not his brother's angry silence that told of an impending explosion. He rather seemed to be deep in thought. Shortly before arriving at their destination the turtle in blue stopped and adressed the brawler.

„Okay“ He sighed. „What is it? And don't tell me it's nothing because I won't believe it and we'll be here all night!”

Raphael growled at the challenge in the other's words but only remained silent for a moment.

“The videos we saw...” He said gruffly, but hesitated to continue.

“What about them?”

“They kinda... touched me...” Defensively he crossed his arms when speaking those words, as if bracing himself for the reaction.

“Touched you how?”

“Well, Mikey, I mean, Michelangelo, Donatello and the girl. They ain't exactly villainous, right?” Raphael explained. “They're a normal family, just livin’ their lives...”

“By breaking the law!” Leonardo insisted.

“Yeah, are we in a position to judge?”

“What's that supposed to mean, Raphael?” The older turtle asked upset. “We never broke the law!”

“Number One: I ain't sure how legal it is ta run around NYC fightin' and tying up scumbags as 'not police'. Number two: We had father's help ta survive, right? Without his connection ta the Nexus...”

“Father as well as you and I earned our place in the Battle Nexus!”

“Sure, but ya think Orange and Purple could have gotten there somehow and try the same?” Raphael asked. “'Cause I don't.”

“Father may be a famous and wealthy man in the Nexus but you know as well as I do that its currency is of no worth here!” Leonardo refused to back down.

“Nah, but the food and drink we could buy on the market there were!” The red-banded turtle retorted. “Look, I ain't saying stealin' is right but maybe ya... we both shouldn't be ta self-righteous.”

The turtle in blue contemplated his brother's words. It was true. Even though they hadn't lived in luxury and had to get around without any technology until they had met Leatherhead, dying of hunger and thirst never was a risk. Without his father's contact to the Daimyo of the Battle Nexus supplies would have been harder to get.

But still, the two thieves obviously had a human family member who could have helped them provide necessities in a legal way but they chose to illegally enrich themselves.

“Ya know” Raphael disrupted his thoughts. “Ya havta have seen it, too. They need each other. What of that girl if ya lock 'em up?”

“I...she too is...”

“Imagine we'd be separated. Ya, me, father. For me it'd be hell.” Still crossarmed Raphael leaned against the sewer tunnel wall, avoiding his big brother's gaze.“ Ya really think someone deserves ta suffer through somethin' like that for theft?”

Leonardo froze at the vulnerability his usually tough brother displayed. The brawler seemed to be in pain just thinking these thoughts. The older Hamato could not deny the effect the recordings had had on him as well. They showed that Donatello tried to protect and support his family, the whole family worked as a team, teased each other, had fun and even though their apartment was not luxurious it was a nice home.

“Okay, Raphael” Leonardo finally spoke. “We will catch them and see how we proceed from there. Maybe we can... figure something out.”

“And then what?” Raphael asked before suggesting with a lewd grin: “We punish 'em ourselves?”

“Raphael!”

“What? The orange one likes us...”

“The purple one doesn't!” 

“But I think he hates me a little less...”

“Very funny, Raph” Leonardo sighed. “Can we PLEASE focus on capturing them? I promise to be reasonable, but...”

“Aw'right, Fearless” The younger gave in. “I promised ta support ya, so... here we go.”

“Thank you!”

A few minutes later they arrived at the TCRI main entrance. Carefully checking that they were alone, they used the buzzer. As expected the door opened soon, revealing Casey Jones. The black-haired human grinned at them, his blue eyes shining with mischief as he let them in.

“Guys!” He pulled the brothers in a breath-stealing hug. Afterward he led them through the brightly lit entrance hall, several lights reflecting from the white tiles at the walls. He leaned against the desk close to the elevator door. “I missed ya! What's new? I can call ma backup guy if ya need me ta kick some butt!”

“Nah, we ain't here ta endanger yer job, Case!” Raph laughed. “We got some questions 'bout a girl ya date.”

“I ain't datin' noone, man!” Casey said in an almost pouting manner. “Since I got this job, I could afford some fancy places but got no time ta find a lady ta take there!”

“I see... I think” Leonardo said. “But maybe you did date her once. Middle height, slender, dark red hair, green eyes?”

“April O'Neil!” The human exclaimed. “How come ya know her?”

“Long story, Case!” Raphael grinned. “I promise ta tell ya but not now. Ya know where ta find the lady?”

“No!” Casey huffed out, then went behind his desk to let himself drop into his chair. “Man, that was the main problem...”

“Whatya mean?”

“Well, I really liked her, ya know!” Their human friend said regretfully. “Not just like thinking she was pretty. I mean, sure she's hot but she's also funny and smart but after a while she started ta push me away.”

“What happened?”

“I ain't sure, man!” Casey groaned in frustration. “Ya know, she was always talkin' 'bout her brothers.The older one is some sort of genius much like herself ya ask me, a computer expert and a tinkerer, builds cool stuff and so on. The younger is more of a prankster, pulling funny stunts, joking around. And she kept telling me 'bout 'em, what they did, what they said. They sounded alright and I wanted ta meet them. That's understandable, right?”

Both turtles nodded in agreement and the man went on: “But from that moment on everything went south. Each time I asked, she made up excuses and then she started pullin' away. One day I called her and she said she'd call me back and never did. A week later I tried again and the phone was dead...”

Leonardo and Raphael shared a look. The older saw his own sympathy for the man reflected in his brother's eyes. As the turtle in red threw him a questioning look, the leader only nodded silently giving permission to share what they knew.

“Case” Raphael addressed his friend. “That ain't 'bout ya. The girl just couldn't know that you'd actually not freak out 'bout her bros being giant talkin' turtles...”

“Huh?” Casey's trademark look of incomprehension grew on his features.

“Her brothers, Casey” Leonardo tried. “Are mutants – turtles to be specific and that's why she never introduced you to her family.”

“I thought the only other turtle mutants in the Burroughs were...No way!” The human's face lit up in understanding. “April lives with the thieves Leo lost his mind ova?”

“Excuse me?” Leonardo exclaimed. “Raph?”

“Yeah... I think, I said that afta one particularly exhausting patrol...” Raphael said with a broad grin.

“Aaaanyway” The turtle in blue cast his brother one last angry look. “You say you don't know where she lives but where did you meet her?”

“She worked at a computer store. I needed a new hard drive and saw her there. Asked her out and she – weird enough – said yes. But after she ghosted me, I went there and she had resigned according to her boss.”

“Okay, which store? Maybe Leatherhead can hack into their system and...”

Leonardo felt the vibration of his phone in his belt. Surprised he pulled it out, only to see an unknown number at the screen. Hesitating for a moment, he finally answered the call.

“Hello?” He greeted reluctantly.

There was a horrible noisiness in the background. Fighting and screaming. Leonardo barely understood the female voice that desperately tried to make herself heard.

“....ardo? It's...ai! ...eed help. ….creatures ambush...dojo......chi...ren. Lights ...out.”

“Karai? Is that you?” The turtle in blue asked in disbelief.

In the corner of his eye he saw Raphael and Casey tense at her name.

“...lease. ...not for me...then...for...children.”

“What? Karai, I can't...hello?”

The line was dead and Leonardo stared at his phone in confusion.

“What did that bitch want?” Raph spat out.

“I am not sure. There was fighting and she said something about creatures and children.”

“She made her decision when she dumped ya ta stay at Daddy's side and now she wants yer help in a fight?”

Leonardo frowned. Indeed this was not like Karai. She was a proud woman that would rather die than beg an ex-lover for help. But she had swallowed her pride on rare occasions for someone she cared about. Mostly her father and for a time being Leonardo. The children...

“Children!” Leonardo understood. They had kept an eye on Karai's and Saki's schedule for a while and had learned that she was in charge of training new recruits at the moment. “Shredder bought the vacancy next to the Foot building. Now there is a dojo where Karai trains the newest recruits, some of them no older than 12!”

“Ain't that illegal?” Casey wondered.

“Yeah, it matters 'cause Saki would care!” Raphael answered sarcastically.

“Guys” Leonardo called. “Focus! Some 'creatures' attacking children. Foot or not, we have to...”

“Yeah, yer right, Fearless! Let's go!”

“Wait, I wanna come, too!” Casey whined. “I just need ta call ma backup!”

“Casey, there is no time, we...”

The sound signaling the arrival of the elevator interrupted Leonardo. The door soon revealed the leader of the Utroms on earth and two of his bodyguards.

“Mr. Mortu, I gotta go!” Casey jumped on the chance. “There is a situation...”

“Indeed, there is!” His superior spoke. “We have reports about mysterious creatures attacking people in Central Park. It is our moral responsibility to intervene. I am glad to find you here, Leonardo and Raphael. We could use your skills.”

“I apologize, Mr. Mortu” Leonardo answered. “But an...acquaintance of mine called for my help in a similar matter. Creatures attacking her and her students near the Foot headquarters.”

“I see!” Mortu nodded and ordered his men: “Tell the others that it might be a city-wide situation. Be alert and organize more manpower. Leonardo, Raphael, Mr. Jones, please accept one of our vehicles to get to your destination fast. Mr. Jones, you have been to our driver's safety training?”

“Three times, man!”

Mortu sighed.

“Alright! Be careful my friends.”

 

Driving in the TCRI van they soon had to learn that Mortu's concerns were justified. Due to their pace they could not exactly make out what kind of menace caused the mayhem, but they saw panicked citizens, over-challenged police men and some hectic Utrom agents. In between the turmoil Leonardo sometimes thought to see something else moving.

Behind the block to their left the Foot Tower rose up into the dark sky. Casey took a sharp turn and then they saw it. All the streetlamps near the new Foot dojo had been destroyed. The light bulbs as well as the protective glass lie in scattered shards on the pavement below. At that they frowned but driving further, Casey hit the brakes and all three men for a second just stared at the scene before them.

Abound two dozens of dark shadowy creatures had surrounded a group of Foot Clan members. The strange beings' black mass formed a hideous caricature of an upper body while the rest seemed to flow towards and along the ground like ink. What seemed like arms stuck out of the deformed bodies, hands with sharp claws at their ends. When they moved they blurred before the eye and even from his current point of view Leonardo could see how it unnerved most of the Foot ninja.

Casey and the Hamatos jumped out of the van. Running closer they saw Karai elegantly spinning between two of the creatures. Wielding double katanas like Leonardo, she in one swift move cut through two of the unearthly opponents. The ink-like bodies of the entities parted each in two until the disgusting black mass fell to the ground with a stomach churning splashing sound. Karai turned to face the next enemy when the mass beneath her feet began to stir.

Leonardo saw it first and called out to her.

“Karai! Look below you!” He warned. “It's not dead!”

At the last moment the kunoichi saw the threat and jumped away. The fracture of a second later a black hand with abnormal long and blade-like fingers shot out of the dark puddle to grab her. Before the horrified eyes of the ninjas and Casey Jones the defeated creatures re-formed out of the puddle, immediately attacking Karai again.

Leonardo ran towards her but she yelled: “No, I shall prevail on my own. Protect the children, Leonardo!”

If not for the graveness of the situation the turtle in blue would have rolled his eyes at her arrogant attitude in the face of a seemingly indestructible enemy. But then he saw them, the children Karai had been talking about: Five young boys around 13 years old pressed their bodies against theouter wall of the dojo, the way back in blocked by a sticky black mass undulating around the building's front door. Two Foot ninjas were shielding them but three of the creatures were moving towards them, their ink black claws reaching for them.

 

*

 

Donatello hated this area of the city. The mutants‘ black market of course HAD to move here after the incident with the two fireflies who took their name to seriously. In the shadow of the Foot building the turtle in purple always felt watched. Of course he knew that Oroku Saki never had learned who had switched one of the suitcases full of real money with one full of monopoly currency when he had made his weapon deal with the Purple Dragons. Don and April still were pretty proud of themselves for having strained the relationship between those two factions.

The genius was well aware that rationally he had no more to fear than in any other part of town since he would be save nowhere if Oroku was onto him. But still, an uneasy feeling remained.

Finally the door opened and Namira stepped out.

“Donnie baby!” The tall slender mutant with the human body and the moth wings exclaimed. “I could kiss you! That vase you brought me – one of my customers has been looking for it for quite a while. That's 500 Dollars for you, sweetie!”

“Alright! Give it to me so I can get out of here!” Don said.

“What? No haggling?” Namira was visibly disappointed. “But you're my favorite haggler!”

“That is not as flattering as you might think. Seriously, Namira, I am in a hurry!”

“Alright, spoilsport!” She pouted and handed him ten 50-Dollar notes. “You have something new?”

“No, not this time!” Donatello shook his head, stuffing the money into his backpack. “My siblings and I will lay low for a while.”

“Big trouble or big deal?”

“Ha!” He grinned. “Funny enough: Both!”

“I need to hear this story one da... what is that?”

Both mutants turned their head when in the distance screams sounded through the air, soon followed by fighting noises.

“Uh, that does not sound good!” Namira stated. “I guess, I lock the door now. You in or out?”

“Out! I need to get home.”

“You sure? There is trouble brewing.”

“I hear it, too, Namira.” Don smiled, “I'll be fine.”

“As you wish. Good night, darling!”

“Good night.”

Namira closed the door and Don climbed up the nearest roof. Turning away from the mysterious fighting noises in the distance he was about to run home when he heard screams again. Donatello halted.

Were those... children?

 

*

 

He was not gonna make it. Leonardo ran as fast as he could, Raphael and Casey hot on his heels. But he was still too far away. The shadowy black creature crept too fast towards the children. It had cut down one of the Foot ninjas that had tried to protect the kids, the other one busy with more of the hellish spawn.

One courageous boy stepped out of the group shielding his comrades with his body and his body with his training bo. But with ease the creature's left hand knocked the staff out of his grip and its blade-fingered right went in for a deadly blow on the boy's body.

Leonardo braced himself preparing for the worst to happen right before his eyes, as all of a sudden a shadow came down from the dojo's roof and within the blink of an eye another bo met the black being’s right claws. As the left hand of the monster went for a hit again the staff was dexterously twirled, locking it with the beast's blade-like fingers. A familiar purple-masked turtle wearing a tool belt and a backpack had appeared from nowhere and saved the boy.

“Is that...?” Casey asked from behind.

“Yes.” Leonardo did not stop running. “But that's for later.”

Having for a moment blocked the monster's claws, Donatello called out to the boy:

“Take the grappling hook from my belt and get your friends to the roof!”

“Y...yes, Mr. Turtle!” The boy took the tool, but struggled with it.

Leonardo had to admit that this was a good idea. Before joining Donatello against more approaching creatures, he turned to his human friend.

“Casey, help him with the hook and guard the kids' retreat.” His leader tone left no room for discussion and even though Casey most likely would have preferred to join the fight, he obeyed at once.

Upon hearing Leonardo's voice, Donatello jumped out of his shadowy opponent's reach and turned towards the turtle in blue. An annoyed sigh escaped the thief.

“Really now?” He asked laconically as they locked eyes.

“Really now.” Leonardo answered dryly.

That was all they spoke, both smart enough to know that there was a time and place for everything.

Together with Raphael they closed ranks, keeping the creatures away from the building. So far none of the monsters tried to get to the children on the roof, even though the way they moved had Leonard thinking that they could easily slide up the wall. The kids seemed to be save for now but their overall predicament remained grave. Leonardo and Raphael as well as a few Foot Soldiers had managed to cut through some of the attackers but like before they had reformed within seconds. Of course Karai had called for backup and more and more Foot Ninjas joined their side but while the fallen creatures would rise again, their victims did not. Several clan member were lying on the concrete in their own blood, cut down by the hell spawn that surrounded them. Some dead, some barely alive. Not only were those opponents indestructible, there were more of them coming, seemingly just emerging from the shadows, being born out of nothing but darkness.

Donatello as in a fight against the Hamatos focused on defending but whenever Leonardo caught a glimpse at him he would see his chocolate brown eyes flick across the battlefield. Back in his mind the turtle in blue could not help admire the thief's ability to process so many impressions at once. Still he thought that the turtle in purple must have lost his mind when suddenly he landed a hit against one of the creatures, only to immediately jump passed it to attack a second target. To assure himself of both enemy's attention he twirled his bo around fast, letting his weapon glide through both bodies' disgusting black mass. At once both of the demonic shadows scurried towards him, faster with every second's fracture but the thief just stood there. Leonardo wanted to rush to his side to help him but he was engaged in a duel as well. Turning his back on his own adversary was not a healthy option.

The creatures that Donatello had provoked hauled their claws for a blow at him and came dangerously close. Ten black blades went down. The genius leaped backwards escaping the deadly strikes at a hair's breadth.

The monster's claws dug deep into each other's bodies. Both tried one tug to free themselves but soon they deformed, appearing to melt on each other's claws. As several times before the creatures turned into a puddle of viscous black liquid. Only this time the mass suddenly started to disappear as if it was seeping into the street's concrete until nothing was left.

Leonardo immediately tried to think of a way how to use what he had witnessed as soon as possible but Donatello just stared at the now empty ground.

“Interesting...” He stated like a scientist after an experiment. “I wonder...”

For a moment he paid no attention to his surroundings, not seeing another shadowy form approach him. Leonardo wanted to warn him when he saw a flash of red and green pulling the thief away from the attacker.

“That was impressive, sweet cheeks!” He heard Raphael's gruff voice. “But no spacing out 'fore ALL bad guys are down!”

Leonardo's current opponent attacked him with both of his blade-fingered hands. The turtle in blue parried with his right katana and put all of his strength in a powerful riposte. This threw the creature's hands back for a second. Enough time for Leonardo to cut through the monster's body with his left katana. Wasting no time while the beast put itself back together, the blue-masked turtle leaped a few feet away and closed rank with Donatello, Raphael, Karai and Casey who by now had gotten all children to the relative safety of the dojo's rooftop.

“That was good thinking, Donatello” Leonardo reluctantly commended while blocking a living shadow's attack. “But it's going to be hard to get rid of them all that way.”

“Ya can say that again, Fearless!” Raphael grumbled, ramming his sais in an ink-black body.

Casey gave an affirmative grunt as he pushed two sharp-ended extremities away from his upper body with his hockey stick.

“They seem to learn, too!” Karai launched a double-attack at an attacker. “I don't believe that they will fall for a trick like that repeatedly.”

Donatello said nothing and when Leo looked at him, he saw that the genius' dark eyes were focused on the other side of the street.

“Do you see the creatures forming in the shadows over there?” He asked.

“'Course we do, brainiac!” The hothead growled. “They're our main prob here!”

“Those who emerge near an illuminated window move very close to the ground before they reach our half of the street,” Donatello's voice and expression left Leonardo unsure whether he was talking to himself or to his allies. “Those who appear in an unlit area take their human-like posture immediately. The entities seem to avoid light.”

Slowly the older Hamato nodded.

“It might explain the broken lights. Whoever called this monsters would want them to be at their strongest.” He mused.

“Yeah, great. Ya two smart guys also got an idea where ta get light without lamps?”

“That van over there for example seems to be equipped with headlights.” Donatello said in a patronizing tone, twirling his bo against a human like shadow. “And as a modern ninja clan the Foot might have some dazzling grenades.”

“We can provide dazzling grenades!” Karai answered quickly.

“Casey, try getting to the van and turn on the headlights – full beam!” Leonardo ordered. “Raph, cover him! Karai, get those grenades! Donatello, stay close to me, we need to keep them at bay!”

Shortly after he spoke that last words, he frowned at himself. Barking orders at Karai made somewhat sense since they had fought together before and she had accepted to follow him. Expecting obedience from a thief, this one in particular was a little delusional.

But to his surprise he heard the purple-masked turtle's soft voice among the others confirming his commands. Casey and Raphael fought through the black masses blocking the way to the van, Karai sprinted towards the Foot tower and soon Leonardo felt a carapace meeting his own as Donatello positioned himself shell to shell with the leader. It should not have felt reassuring to have his back turned to the thief but it did.

He and Raph had been in this position several times and he was used to sudden, quick and sharp movements. Donatello did not move as much and if he did, it was wavelike. Without seeing him, Leonardo knew that the genius calculated every motion before executing it. He perceived the collision of the bo staff with the creatures' claws several times, not to do harm, but to buy time.

After what seemed like an eternity he heard the van's door open and its motor howling. Soon the section of the street was bathed in light. Those of the monsters who were hit by the rays immediately were destroyed. Their bodies seemed to split into thousand of tiny ink black flakes that an eye's lash later vanished into thin air. The remaining unearthly enemies however backed away, but did not flee.

The human and mutant fighters hurried to gather in the stream of the light. Casey and Raphael climbed over the van's bonnet to join them. The creatures stayed near but could not reach them.

For a moment Leonardo thought that they were saved. He trusted that the battery in an Utrom vehicle would last until sunrise and since their fear of light had been confirmed, the monsters sure would die or flee at dawn.

But then, slowly, the creatures turned away from the people sheltered by the light. They turned their attention towards the dojo. As far as Leonardo could tell about those gruesome parodies that were their heads they started to look up. Then they scurried in the dojo's direction. As soon as they arrived, the mass that formed their bodies turned into black disgusting giant worms and glided up the outer walls of the building.

“Shit! The kids!” Casey shouted, answered by a curse from Raphael.

“Casey, Raph, wait we...” Leonardo called out, trying to hold them back. But they already had jumped out of the protective light stream. “...need a plan!”

He sighed and wanted to run after them and fight by their sight, but a soft hand at his biceps stopped him. Turning around he looked at Donatello but the genius' chocolate brown eyes did not meet his, instead they looked in the distance.

“That could be helpful!” He said calmly, pointing at something on the Foot building.

Following his gaze and pointer, Leonardo immediately spotted what had peaked the thief's interest and pulled out his phone to dial a number.

“Karai!” He ordered as soon as he was connected. “Get whoever to turn on the floodlights on the tower and direct them at the dojo!”

“Understood!” His former lover confirmed and the line went dead.

“Donatello!” Leonardo addressed the smaller turtle beside him. “Do you think you can get in the car and move it?”

“Yes!”

“Good! Do it and try to get the light stream on the pavement in front...” A loud clanging noise interrupted him and both turtles' heads snapped towards the van. Half a dozen of the monsters had turned away from the dojo and started to attack the vehicle, obviously recognizing it as the source of the light. Their strength was remarkable. Avoiding the light, they neared the vehicle from the side, pushing and hitting it. And then all six of them drew near each other and melted together. Their combined bodies formed a disgusting slimy mass building a wavering dark wall next to the vehicle. All of the sudden the huge black wave crashed against the side of the van, throwing it over. With a loud crashing sound the van landed on its side. Surprisingly the motor made a concerning sound but did not die so the light kept streaming along the street.

“I fear I have to revoke my evaluation!” Donatello commented dryly. “I cannot move that car.”

“You think?” Leonardo could not help smiling for a second but then he turned serious. “I need to help protecting the children. Will you...”

“Lead the way.” The thief said.

They rushed over to the dojo and Leonardo ordered Donatello to join Casey and the Foot ninjas keeping the monsters away from the building. The leader himself climbed up the grappling hook's rope to get to Raphael who was already on the roof fighting those creatures which had been too fast for the fighters on the ground.

When the turtle in blue arrived on the roof, his brother was surrounded, the children pressed against the rim behind him. As always Raphael fought brave and despite a nasty cut at his right upper leg he did not move slower than usual. But still, five of the beasts had managed to get up here and the fight was taking its toll on the brawler. So Leonardo did not hesitate. Pushing his feet from the rim he jumped right behind the monsters surrounding his younger brother and cut right through them. All of them turned to black sludge which splattered on the roof tiles with a sickening noises.

“'Bout time, Fearless!” Raphael grinned. “I thought ya fawgot 'bout us here!”

“No time for jokes!” Leonardo said, earning an eye roll. “Regroup before they get up again!”

“Regroup? There's two of us! It's Re-duo!”

“Very funny!”

Despite their bickering the Hamatos leaped in front of the children as if the were one.

“Stay put!” They told the kids simultaneously before turning their backs on them to face the shadowy enemies that were already re-emerging from the dark puddles.

They took their stances but froze when they looked behind their opponents. Slowly but steadily more ink-black worms appeared from below, crawling, swapping over the rim before taking human-like shapes when reaching the rooftop.

“These are many, Fearless!” Raphael stated unnecessarily.

“Yes, too many!” Leonardo agreed. “Use your grappling hook to get the kids down the other side. I will...”

“No way, I am leavin' ya ta...”

“This is not about us, it's...”

He stopped talking. The black creatures had gathered before them. Ten now, or eleven, twelve maybe? He could not tell anymore because they were moving so close to each other, like... Oh no! As they had done near the van, the hellish spawn merged together, melded into a big dark billow about to crash above the turtles and the children. The young students screamed, Raphael cursed but Leonardo remained silent, trying to prepare himself for the inevitable. Even with his eyes closed he was aware how the already dark night became even darker as he felt the rush of the wave come closer. He braced himself for what was about to come – but never came. Through his closed lids he saw a bright light and had trouble opening his eyes due to the blinding stream bathing the roof. So he barely saw the black mass turn into flakes before disappearing for good. Whoever had turned on the floodlights had the right thought of moving them around to make sure none of the unearthly fiends remained.

After their eyes had adjusted to the light the Hamatos watched the children climb down to the pavement where they were received and looked over by the older Foot. Finally Leonardo and Raphael could descend, too.

Karai had returned. She supervised the collection of the wounded and the dead, only casting a quick glance at the children. Leonardo spotted Casey who wore a slightly pained expression while Donatello was cleaning a wound on his upper arm before wrapping it.

“You'll live!” The genius said annoyed.

“But what if it's poisonous or contagious?” Casey asked fearfully. “What if I turn into one of them?”

“We'll know at the next full moon, I guess...” Donatello answered in a serious tone, almost causing the human to completely lose his mind.

“Doe eyes here is jus' messin' with ya, Case!” Raphael laughed, clasping his best friend's shoulder. “These were not werewolves!”

“But maybe something similar...”

“I am no expert on supernatural diseases, Mr. Jones” The turtle in purple interrupted. “But what you are referring to – lycanthropy and vampirism – infects human bodies. But while they alter the bodies notably, they stay just that: bodies. The beings we fought obviously were not bound to their corporal form.”

Leonardo's ridges went up in surprise. Due to his experiences the leader himself was no stranger to magic or magical creatures. But that the thief spoke about these things quite nonchalantly was something he had not expected. Casey however seemed unconvinced.

“But vampires can turn into bats, right? What if these monsters just have a goo form, instead of... wait, how do you now my last name?”

“Stop hoggin' the guy with the disinfectant, Case!” Raphael pushed the human aside and addressed Donatello, pointing at his leg wound with a grin. “Could ya?”

“Do I look like a medic?” The purple-banded turtle sighed but nevertheless squatted down to tend to the brawler's wound.

“Why not?” Raphael teased. “Doctor Don! I'll get ya a cute coat and ya can tend ta all ma needs as my personal doctor.”

Leonardo thought about admonishing his brother for the inappropriate innuendos but if Donatello was offended or felt degraded by them, he did not show it. After cleaning the wound professionally, he stood. Then he lifted his head to meet Raphael's eyes.

“If you feel like you are in need of a personal doctor you might want to work on your defense techniques.” He advised calmly but patronizing before putting his utensils back into his bag.

The turtle in red grinned even broader, grabbed Donatello's shoulder and cornered him against the wall.

“I like that one!” Raphael placed his hands next to the left and right of the genius‘ head. “Can we keep 'im?”

“We will for now.” Leonardo nodded. “Until we decide what to do with him.”

“What?” Donatello exclaimed, before building a calm facade again. “I just helped you!”

“You did.” The turtle in blue confirmed. “But we are ninja. We take advantage of any opportunity. And a prey, usually so hard to catch, that suddenly comes to us willingly? A unique opportunity.”

“Prey?” The thief cocked an eye ridge. “Are you a ninja clan or a pack of wolves?”

“Ehm, guys?” Casey reminded them of his presence. “He's got a point, ya know. He risked his life ta save those kids and it's kinda uncool ta...”

“Relax, Case!” Raphael interrupted the human. “Leo's right! Besides, noone's gonna hurt 'im.”

“You are allies with the Foot but really want me locked up for being a thief? They just summoned a bunch of lower demons AND lost control over them!”

Again the turtle in blue was taken aback by the casual way Donatello talked about the supernatural.

“This was not our doing!” Karai's voice spoke suddenly. “We would not do such a thing!”

“Riiight!” Donatello said sarcastically. “The Foot clan is a force of good!”

“They really ain't,” Raphael grinned down at him. “But our ninja princess here ain't lying.”

“'Tis true!” Casey said. “We heard of stuff like that happening all over town, not just here.”

“What?” Suddenly the thief pressed himself even tighter against the wall. Having some room now, he cat-like dove beneath Raphael's muscular arm and made a run for the rope of his grappling hook that still dangled from the dojo's roof.

Raphael and Casey did not process his escape fast enough and stared dumbfounded as the turtle in purple reached for the rope and was about to run up the wall. But Leonardo was too fast for the thief. At the last second he caught Donatello's wrist before he could grab the thick cord. Harshly he turned the smaller turtle around. After a short struggle Leonardo got a hold of his captive's other joint and pinned the genius against the wall.

“I said you stay with us!” The blue-masked turtle could not help the hint of smugness that found its way into his voice and for a moment he relished in the shock on the usually so calm face he looked down at. But soon he could no longer enjoy his superior position.

“Please!” Desperation clouded the thief's chocolate eyes as he pleaded. “I need to find my family! I tried calling them after the fight but they did not pick up. I... I did not think much of it but now that I know that these monsters could be near them... Please!”

Frowning Leonardo took his captive in. Seeing the sincere panic on the thief's face took away any joy his victory had brought. Concern for one's family was something he could relate to. But he could not let him go. He just could not.

“Please, Leonardo!” Donatello addressed him directly now, breathing deeply, trying to calm himself down. Almost sounding as usual, he tried to bargain: “I swear on my parents' grave, I will come back! When I made sure my siblings are save, I will come back here – or any other place you want me. I will come back and never run away from you again. You can do with me whatever you want after that – but please, let me make sure my family is save!”

Leonardo held the gaze of the purple-banded turtle. Intuitively he believed that the genius was sincere but rationality had him make a counter-proposal.

“I have a better idea! You tell us where to find them and we'll check on them together.” That was perfect. He had Donatello and the smart turtle would willingly lead him to his accomplices.

Of course the thief hesitated at first, so Leonardo added: “If they are attacked by these demons, you will need back up anyway.”

Slowly the thief nodded. Hanging his head in defeat, he answered: “Yes.“

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Leo being a bit of a jerk here? Maybe! But be honest: If you had caught Donnie, would you let him go again?
> 
> As always: Tell me your thoughts. :)


	5. A Night to remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little later than I expected and hoped but here is chapter 5. I hope you like it!

A light soft evening breeze coming through the window, a comfy blanket lying over his legs, the warm cushion of the sofa beneath his butt, a bowl of chips on the tasteful wooden table with the small white cloth and an action movie in the DVD player. Life was perfect! Or it would be if not for the agitated redhead whose pacing patrol unfortunately led her from the window to the phone to the bookshelf and back to the window, permanently crossing path with the TV screen.

“April!” Michelangelo whined. “What's all this about? Could you just sit down and watch 'Lethal Weapon' with me?”

“Where is Donnie?” April asked, ignoring Mikey's plea.

“At Namira's, duh! And you guys say, I don't listen...”

“I know where he wanted to go, Mikey!” The redhead answered impatiently. “But why isn't he back?”

“Oh, you know how they get!” The orange-masked turtle dismissed her concern. “Donnie and Namira can fight over half a dollar payment for hours. And then she will start gossiping and he will jump on this opportunity for free informations.”

“Usually, yes! But he PROMISED not to do that tonight.” April shook her head. “I asked him to take her offer immediately and come home at once. And he promised!”

“Hmm...Maybe something came up!” The young turtle pondered.

“Ohhh, really, is that possible? Could it be that something came up?” She asked sarcastically, before exclaiming: “That's exactly what I'm worried about, Mikey. That something came up!”

“Well, I meant something harmless!” Giving up on his movie for now, Michelangelo left the couch and stood behind his sisters, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Did you try to call?”

“No, we agreed that with these two horrible ninjas looking for you, he keeps it turned off and only calls when he needs something.”

Mikey sighed. This was probably not a good time to let April know that he did not think that those ninjas were THAT horrible, especially Raphael.

“Well, maybe you should try calling anyway.“ He suggested instead. “At least he will see that you called when he turns it on.”

“But IF he turns it on, he does it because he wants to call anyway, so...”

Suddenly a cacaphony of screams sounded through the window from outside. Shocked the younger O'Neils looked at each other. It was late and even though the area they lived in was home to some bars, the partygoers were never that loud, even on a Friday night. And these were no happy screams either.

Carefully April and Mikey approached the window. The street was darker than usual. It seemed like all the lanterns' light bulbs had blown at once – and destroyed the protection glass of the lamps in the process. Only illuminated by the moon and the lights falling to the pavement from some windows, the scene beneath remained ominous to the O'Neils:

A lot of people, mostly in their twenties and thirties Mikey assumed, ran wildly along and over the streets, screaming in panic, pushing each other.They tried fleeing into buildings, like the bar across the street, the fastfood restaurant in the O'Neil's neighboring building and the massage salon with the weird business hours. But Mikey and April could see nothing that they did flee FROM.

Soon enough the doors of the buildings closed and a group of people not fast enough, stayed outside and desperately pulled and pushed the handles to open them. But it seemed like the door had been locked from the inside.

Abruptly April turned away from the window and left the room.

“Where are you going?” Mikey jumped after her, grabbing her shoulder.

“Outside!” She said as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do. “These people need help!”

“Then call the police!” Pointing at the phone in her hand, he took a side step to block the door.

“First, someone probably already did!” She retorted. “Second, I don't know what these people are running from, I need to see what exactly I should report!”

“Just report a mass panic and stay here!”

“Mikey, they need help now!” April insisted. “At least I can let them in the building so they can wait for help in the foyer.”

“April, Donnie will kill me, if I let you out there now!” Michelangelo pleaded, but immediately noticed his mistake.

“If you LET me?” She narrowed her eyes, piercing through him with a dangerous glint in the emerald green pools.

“Ah, ehm... I mean, he will kill us, if we go out there now!” He tried but her gaze turned only angrier as she stepped closer.

Even though he was stronger than her, he did not dare to persist when she pushed him aside and opened the door.

“We will talk about this!” She threatened lowly before running down the stairs.

Sighing Mikey rushed to his room, grabbing his weapons before hurrying after her, taking several steps at once to reach her before she arrived at the main door.She turned around once more, glaring at him, daring him to stop her but he just made a placating gesture.

Carefully April pressed down the handle and slowly opened the door. Mikey quickly hid behind a pile of boxes under the stairs. They had not really thought that through. The people hiding in here was fine, but them seeing him? Not fine!

“April,” he whispered. “Don't you think, I might scare them more than whatever is out there?”

“There is noone.“ She stated, waving him out of his hiding place. After that she slowly stepped out on the street. There was no way Michelangelo would let his sister go out there alone and followed her. The young turtle just hoped that in the scarce light anyone who would look out the window would think he was a just weirdo in a costume. Brows furrowed April let her eyes wander.

“Where'd they...?”

Panicked screams from the other side of the streets answered her unfinished question. But the next moment an eerie silence fell over the area. After a second of shock the two younger O'Neils looked at each other.

“Sis, please! It's cold out here” Mikey begged. “And this is like a horror movie and we are too old to play the stupid teenagers that fall for an easy trap. I know you wanna help, but...”

“You're right!” She nodded. “Except for the cold part, it's actually pretty nice. Are you getting sick?”

“Are you kidding me? It's freezing!”

“Anyway, let's go back. That is too strange. Reminds me of... Mikey!”

Her eyes went wide, her face became pale and the next thing Michelangelo knew was being grabbed by his sister and pulled to her side. Confused he followed her gaze and froze.

At first he just felt like the area around their building had become darker. More shadows seemed to surround the building they lived in. But suddenly there was movement in the darkness. He watched in horror as slowly big black bubbles formed which then turned into human-like bodies with long and pointy blades instead of fingers.

“What the...?”

“They block our way back. We have to run!” April yelled. But as the siblings turned around they faced more of the sinister shades coming from the other side of the streets. Having no other option to get away, they slowly backed down towards an abandoned newsstand. Soon they were cornered against the kiosk. Michelangelo felt an icy cold emanating from the creature's bodies that threatened to overwhelm him. Quickly he started twirling his nunchuks.

All of a sudden one of the monsters rushed forward and swung its claws against April. At the last second Michelangelo‘s left weapon caught the sharp limbs and the chain tangled around it, halting the creature's movement for a second. Mikey used the chance to swing his right nunchuk against what he guessed was the fiend's chest. Gathering all his strength for the hit, he managed to drive right through the thing's body, splitting it in two. Immediately the monster turned into an icky dark slime that fell to the pavement with a splashing noise.

“Okay, you ugly goo-...eh -thingies!” He called. “There is enough of that for all of you. So you better...”

He stopped dead when the black mass at his feet started to move.

“Up!” He yelled, grabbing April's hips, basically throwing her in the air. Quick-reacting she took a hold off the canopy of the newsstand, pulling her self up. He followed her and frantically looked around while beneath their position the defeated foe reformed and the others closed in.

“I need a weapon, too!” April exclaimed.

“Why?” He asked. “It's obviously no solution to kill them...”

“But we need to fight them off until help arrives!” She answered. “As you said, someone must have called the police.”

Even though unconvinced that the police could do much about this creatures, Mikey had to admit that they did not have many options. But where to get a weapon if their way home was blocked?

“The 'Second time around'!” April called out.

“The antique store?”

“Yes, I helped Mrs. Faversham from next door to clean out her attic!” The redhead said. “When we brought some stuff to the store, I saw swords at the walls!”

“Better than nothing!” Mikey shuddered as he saw the human-like shadows change their form. They turned into disgusting black worms crawling towards the kiosk and started to motion up. Desperately he pointed to the balcony of a nearby building.

“Can you make that jump, sis?” He asked. April was no stranger to acrobatics since sometimes she accompanied her brothers as a catburglar but due to their mutation the male O'Neil's musculature was stronger, allowing them to jump farther and run faster.

“I...I think so!” She nodded, pressing her lips together in determination.

“Alright!” The orange-masked turtle said. “Me first! I will help you if you have problems!”

He took a run-up and jumped when he reached the rim. Elegantly he landed on the balcony's railing with a clunk. After shortly stretching her slender legs, April followed. As fast as she could she took a start, jumping at the last moment, barely catching the handrail on the other side. Shortly she struggled, but Michelangelo grabbed her hands and pulled her up.

On the other side the weird monsters had reached the newsstand's top and from the angle of their heads, April and Mikey had to assume that they had spotted their prey. Luckily from their current position it was easy to reach the roofs and the O'Neil's were masters of moving along the “thieves' highway”.

For a moment he thought of just going home but Michelangelo sensed that the enemies were following them along. Even in their worm-form it would take them a while to get up. Enough time for him and his sister to reach the antique shop.

Soon they arrived at the two-store corner house that was home to the “Second time around”. The turtle in orange did not know whether or not that shop was secured by an alarm system. The owner was a rather old-fashioned man and weirdly enough never fell victim to any form of crime. Of course he could not be sure but the worst thing to happen was that the police would be alerted which in fact would be the least of their problems.

Mikey pried open the headlight and the O'Neils slipped in. The upper level held nothing helpful and April quickly led her brother to the store and pointed at the wall behind the counter. Several swords were hanging at the wall. Elegantly April hopped across the corner and grabbed two shortswords.

Her brother remained skeptical. The redhead had proven to have a talent for short bladed weapons but she was no master and it was the two of them against an army of unkillable shadow monsters. Then again, he thought, maybe they just could keep the weapons in case of emergency. Plan A could be to hide here until the monsters left or someone chased them away. Or so he thought.

“Okay!” April said. “I am ready. Let's go!”

“Go where exactly?” He asked, fearing the worst.

“Find Donnie, of course! Did it not occur to you that these...things out there might be the reason he is not home yet?”

Michelangelo's face fell. He had not thought of that. Donatello was his infallible big brother who always found a way to get what they needed, get them out of danger and always, always get them home safely. But April was right. Donnie was out there all alone and obviously there were monsters on the loose. Even the purple-banded genius might reach his limits here.

“You're right! Let's find him. We should go to the roof again and...”

That was when they heard the headlights break. The cracking noise echoed through the building followed by the sound of thousand of shards trickling to the floor above them.

“Or maybe we should reconsider that option...” April stated dryly, sounding like Donnie.

“Out!” Mikey said, feeling his skin getting cold. “They are coming here!”

April nodded and both rushed through the front door. The road seemed free and so they ran towards the crossroad. Unfortunately there they had to learn that the creatures were not as mindless as they had hoped. From their destination several of the shadows came shuffling towards them. Still thinking what to do, Mikey was suddenly startled by a loud shattering noise behind them. He spun around to see that the huge window of the antique store was shattered. A handful of the sinister fiends crawling out through the frame. Instinct told him to stand in front of April but they were surrounded so they positioned themselves back to back.

He heard April suck in a breath and sniffle.

“I am sorry, Mikey!” She sobbed. “I should have listened to you.”

“It's okay, sis!” He soothed. “I'd say we've encountered worse, but...”

They both chuckled despite their predicament.

Michelangelo let his eyes wander over the approaching creatures. And he wished it would be their big brother who would kill them for being so careless.

 

*

 

Donatello could not believe it. It was true: No good deed went unpunished. He had put his life at stake to save some kids from an army of supernatural creatures and as a “thank you” he was now in the clutches of the two ninjas he managed to evade for month before. And as an unnerving bonus they were in a van borrowed from a highly dangerous ninja clan and driven by Casey Jones, annoying ex-crush of his little sister. Who was a horrible driver!

But he had to admit that in the fight it had felt good to stand next to Leonardo. Hearing the children scream in panic had caused the urge to save them but he could not deny how scared he had been facing these unearthly creatures. And even though he had not been happy to suddenly be confronted with the blue-masked turtle, a special kind of placidity had settled in his soul as soon as Leonardo had joined him in the fight. And if his siblings actually were in danger because of these monsters he could think of no one else he would rather have by his side.

He tried to push back the thought that he was basically a captive and was leading his captors right to his siblings – almost. He had given Jones an address on the other side of the street. They would take him there and he would slip away and check on his siblings. He had promised Leonardo to surrender himself but there was no way he would give Mikey and April away.

The younger O'Neils would have to stay hidden for a while but there were lots of apartments and houses in this area. It would be close to impossible for the Hamatos to find out which was theirs. Donatello's siblings would of course have to find something new soon. April would find a way to speed things up with the money. She could do that and take care of Mikey. Yes, they would be fine. With a little rules lawyering one could say that the turtle in blue had rejected Donnie's proposal as awhole and made a completely new one which did not include Don coming back and never run away again. But he hoped that the ninja would be less persistent in his hunt for April and Mikey if he had Donatello and he feared his captor would be even more persistent if he would escape again.

Maybe he could find a way to return to his siblings eventually but for now he had to make sure that they were safe. Which they probably were. There were a million reasons for them not to answer their phones. April could be showering, Mikey could have forgotten to recharge his cellshell, maybe they were watching TV too loud again. The creatures had only been seen on the streets and his siblings were probably safe and sound in their apartment. At least he hoped so.

 

*

 

He was lying. Leonardo could sense it as the thief gave Casey the address. But since Donatello wanted to check on his siblings their real home could not be far from the address he had shared and he probably planned to look after them without the Hamatos in tow.

 _“You're not going anywhere, little thief!”_ Leonardo thought and smiled inwardly. As soon as they would arrive, he would take off his mask and tie his wrist to Donatello's with it. Even though he could already hear Raphael‘s bondage jokes, he was not going to take any chances.

On their way they saw a lot of police and ambulance and even when they did not, they heard the sirens in the distance. They were sitting in the van Karai had provided for them. Casey was driving and Raphael sat next to him talking to Mortu, confessing the damage to the Utrom vehicle and exchanging information. Donatello was seated next to Leonardo in the back. The thief seemed calm at first glance but the brown eyes were clouded with worry and every so often he would fiddle with his backpack without any real purpose.

“Mortu says 'tis really city-wide.” Raphael said after ending the call. “They noticed the monsta's light allergy, too. Their laser based stuff helped but somethin' did mess with their tech and sometimes the weapons would stop workin'.“

“Not to mention that they cannot be everywhere at once!” Leonardo added.

“There's that, too, yeah!”

“Did the Utroms sent you after us?” Donatello suddenly asked. “Because I can guarantee you that...”

“...ya'll never hack into their system again?” Raph laughed. “Sorry, sweet cheeks! But their not yer problem. Chasing yer cute tail was my brother's own idea!”

“Raphael!” Leonardo admonished before turning to Donatello: “I apologize for the continued sexual innuendos. My brother seems inclined to come off as a caveman.”

“It's working so far!” The thief answered in his usual composed manner but suddenly he sat straight up and yelled: “Stop! Stop the van!”

Startled by the sudden outburst Casey hit the breaks and before anyone could react, Donatello jumped out of the vehicle. Convinced that the genius tried to escape, the Hamato brothers did the same. But then they saw the real reason for the thief's actions.

A group of shadow people had cornered a leaf-green mutant turtle and a young human woman on the pavement. The turtle was in a kneeling position, desperately trying to parry the attacks of the sharp claws. The red-headed girl fought her losing battle bravely and skillfully with two short-swords. But she, too, could only hope to block as many attacks as possible. Several scratches and cuts on her legs and arms proved that she had not always succeeded.Of course Leonardo recognized them and knew that Donatello would not flee. Instead the turtle in purple ripped open the driver's door and yelled at Casey.

“Turn the van so you can direct the light at the group!”

He did not see Casey's affirmative nod for after giving the command, he immediately rushed to his siblings' aid. Sharing a look and nodding Raphael and Leonardo followed him. They heard the van's motor howling and soon saw the stream of light hitting the pavement where the fight took place and...nothing. The creatures wavered a little but did not disintegrate.

“Why doesn't it work?” Leonardo yelled, cutting through two shadows that crept towards the redheaded woman.

“Yer guess is as good as mine, Fearless!” Raphael twirled his sai to keep the creatures at bay while he tried to reach the young thief and his sister.

“Maybe your Utrom friends' technology is different from the one used for the Foot clan's van.” Donatello suggested.

Leonardo noticed that the purple-banded turtle fought a lot more reckless and aggressive than usual in his determination to get to his siblings. He moved fast and swiftly through the black mass that surrounded his family, but did uncharacteristically neglect his defense. If he kept that up he would...

Donatello managed to get to Michelangelo and shoved his bo against the claws of three enemies at once, giving his younger brother the chance to jump to his feet. But the genius was not strong enough to keep that up for long. A united push by all three fiends send Donatello to the ground. His carapace hit the pavement hard and a sound of pain escaped the olive-colored lips. Two of the monsters went back at Michelangelo who was now in a much better position to defend himself. But the third monster wasted no time rushing after the purple-masked thief who they had sent sprawling on the ground. Still disoriented from the hard shove and fall Donatello did not process the situation fast enough and the beast's blade-like fingers went down on him.

“Oh no, you don't!” April O'Neil spun around, not caring about leaving several parts of her body undefended. She jumped towards Donatello and his attacker, completely ignoring her current opponents. One of them cut along her hip, ripping her t-shirt and making her hiss. But her determination was stronger than the pain. Her right sword met the monsters claws before they could reach Donatello and she pressed through gritted teeth: “Get away from my brother!”

While her right sword blocked the blow, she swung the left one against the creature's body and sliced it in two. But the supernatural being did not turn into black slime like usually. As its kin had done when hit by the floodlights, it bursted into uncountable dark flakes that shortly after disappeared.

Mutants and humans alike were stunned for the fracture of a second but luckily the shadow creatures were, too. Or so it appeared to Leonardo. They wavered and backed away from the woman and Donatello. When the turtle in blue looked closer, he saw that there was a thin veil of light surrounding the short-sword in the redhead's left hand.

“Gather behind Miss O'Neil!” He ordered which got him a confused look from the redhead, obviously wondering how he could know her name.

He spotted a shoe store only a couple of feet away. Maybe if he could organize their formation so that the weapon the creatures appeared to fear was between his allies and the enemies, they could somehow get there and seek shelter. Of course, everybody would have to be willing and able to follow his orders.

 

*

 

Time seemed to run faster and slower, even if that made no sense. The closer the scary shadow people got the less Michelangelo could move. The cold radiating from their bodies slowed him down, threatening to paralyze him completely. It came as no surprise when a sudden cutting pain on his upper leg brought him to his knees. It was hard to parry in that position and impossible to land a blow. He probably would have been dead within seconds if not for April.

His sister fought like the devil! She was by no means a bad fighter but he had never seen her move so fast and strike so precise ever before. And she did not seems to tire. While his arms became heavier with every second, she did not lose speed or strength. Due to the overwhelming numbers she took several hits but if anything it made her more determined.

But willpower alone would not win this fight. He felt his stamina fading and saw his sister bleeding. The ever optimistic baby of the O'Neil family was close to giving up when he heard a motor howl.

At first he believed to be hallucinating in the face of death when he heard his older brother's voice, but then he saw it. Donnie really was there. Bo staff ready he was coming to save him. He barely registered the other voices. What he saw was his big brother shielding him from the darkness that had come to life. Instinctively he jumped up, finding himself in a better position.

It was still so cold though. Suddenly Donnie disappeared from his sight again and two dark shadows lunged at him. He could dodge and parry a few blows but he was freezing and therefor became slower and slower. Soon the creatures had backed him against a wall.

They were closing in and Mikey had no more strength to fight and no more room to flee. But all of a sudden the dark black shapes attacking him were torn apart by several cuts of two short blades. When the residue dropped to the floor, it revealed the muscular emerald form of Raphael. The ninja's cocky grin soon faded when Mikey began sliding down the wall.

“Whoa there, honey! No rest fer the wicked!” The turtle in red grabbed the thief and pulled him up. “They won't stay down, ya know? Let's hide behind yer sister!”

“What? Why?”

“My brother said so and he has a plan! I hope...”

“Uhu...” Mikey felt being lifted and carried a few steps. Where his body touched Raphael's the cold disappeared and despite the fighting noises, the yelling and the pain in his leg, he suddenly felt save.

He heard Donatello's concerned voice, but could not process what he said. The familiar commanding voice of Leonardo reached his ear. Again, he did not understand what was spoken but shortly after, Raphael started moving.

How much time had passed when he was finally lowered to the ground, he could not tell. In his periphery he saw his siblings staring down at him but his own eyes were focused on Raphael's golden ones that examined him with concern.

 

*

 

April held the sword in front of her body. As the turtle in blue had told her she swung it randomly to keep the shadowy monsters away. Everybody was gathering behind her and moved along the wall to the “Shoe Business”, a rather pricey footwear store, the ninja obviously planned to hide in. So far the beasts were not following them but she was still keeping an eye on the hellish creatures when they arrived at the shop's main door. Faintly she heard the familiar noise of a lock being picked.

“It's open!” Her older brother stated shortly after and they all backed into the store.

Breathing heavily they gathered in the storage room.

“Mikey, what is wrong?” April heard Donatello ask and spun around to find him kneeling next to the red-banded mutant. The latter had a pretty delirious Michelangelo cradled in his arms and his sister rushed to his side as well.

“What's wrong with 'im?” The emerald-skinned ninja asked with honest concern.

It took Mikey a while to become coherent but even when he was finally responsive, he still clung to the ninja named Raphael

“We can't stay here!” Michelangelo said shivering. “They are still after us!”

“What makes ya say that?” The turtle in red questioned.

“It's so cold when they are close!” Mikey said. “And while it is better in here, it's still pretty chilly.”

“Actually, I don't feel that!” Donatello said. “Not now and not when we were directly next to them.”

“Mikey felt cold because of those things the whole time!” April remembered. “Would not be the first time he proved to be sensitive for the 'weirder' things in life.”

Her older brother nodded, starting to rummage through his backpack. The O'Neil siblings did not react to the questioning expressions around them. Instead April got back to herfeet and took the chance to take a closer look at her current allies. Of course she knew who the two other turtles were, but she looked at the dark-haired human for the first time.

“Casey?” She asked surprised. “Why are you here?”

“Yeah, well, good news, babe!” He grinned. “I dun't have a problem with mutant turtles – in fact my best friends are some!”

Slinging his arms around the turtle in blue, he gave her a thumbs-up sign.

“First of all: Don't call me 'babe'!” The redhead put one hand at her hips, the other pointing at Casey, while she frowned. “Second of all: You are friends with those two jerks who have been harassing my brothers for months now?”

“Ehm...” Casey just brought out.

“I told you he was trouble!” Donatello chimed in while cleaning the cut at her hip.

“Speaking of trouble....” She turned her attention to the turtle in purple, crossing her arms. “Why exactly did you lead those guys to us?”

“It's a long story full of ungratefulness!” The genius deadpanned, side-eyeing Leonardo.

“What's that supposed to...”

“Speaking of story...“ Donnie interrupted her in his strict big-brother-voice. „I‘d like to hear the one about you and Mikey NOT being home and why that is.“

“I asked first and you can't just...”

“None of that is important right now.” The turtle in blue spoke, freeing himself from Casey's grip. “Why could you kill that creature, Miss O'Neil?”

April narrowed her eyes at him for the interruption, but answered him nonetheless.

“I don't know for sure!” She said truthfully. “But it must be the sword. I mainly attacked with my right hand and blocked with my left, the killing blow I landed was the first time I used the one in my left for an attack.”

“The sword was glowing a bit after you hit the monster.” Leonardo nodded. “Where did you find it?”

“The antique store, like the other one. That one has an engraving but I did not know the signs. I didn't think much of it until now, to be honest.”

To the visible annoyance of the blue-masked turtle she showed the runes on the sword's blade to Donatello instead of him.

“Celtic.“ Her older brother spoke. “Gaelic to be specific if I am not mistaken. I am no expert on this but I recognize 'protection' and 'evil' and on the other side are the signs for 'light', 'love' and 'strength'.”

“So, 'tis a magic sword?” The red-banded turtle asked, helping a still dizzy Mikey to his feet.

“Hey, and people say, Mr. Pines only sells junk in his store!” The turtle in orange quipped, making his sister smile despite the situation.

“Alright!” The turtle in blue spoke up. “We cannot stay here. Michelangelo says the creatures are still after us and even if we can hide here until daybreak we would have other problems.”

“Yeah, Leo's right. I dun't wanna be here when the police arrives.” His brother agreed. “And Mortu's people are busy. They can't help us,”

“There is a sewer entrance nearby! If we can reach it, we can get to our lair. Its protection should keep them away.” Leonardo explained before turning to April and telling her in a commanding voice: “Miss O'Neil, hand me the sword!”

“What?!” April hid the weapon behind her back. Who did this turtle think he was? He hunted her brothers, thus making her worry sick and now he stood in front of her, giving orders and trying to take her stuff.

“The short-sword, of course!” He answered unfazed. “Hand it to me!”

“No, it's mine!”

“It is not, you stole it from an antique store!”

“Still, I have it now and I...”

“April,“ her older brothers soft voice spoke and he pulled her aside, speaking quietly. “I hate to say it, but he is right! This is the only weapon we have that works against the shadow creatures and he has far more experience with bladed weapons. It will be more effective in his hands!”

“But, Donnie,” April tried to argue. “I was really good out there. Ask Mikey, I was...”  
“I saw.“ he smiled. “You were very good. Much better than the last time I saw you fighting. Don't you wonder why that is?”

“Well, I...”

“It's the weapon, sis!” Donnie explained. “Not only does it harm evil creatures, my theory is that it enhances the skill of those who fight to protect the ones they love. You protected me and Mikey and therefor you fought better than usually. Leonardo will fight to protect his brother and his friend. In addition to his already impressive skills he will be even better with it.”

“But those things are afraid of the sword anyway!” She argued. “Those guys will be fine until daybreak. We need that sword if we want to bolt!”

“Bolt?” Donnie sighed. “Look at Mikey! He is in no condition to 'bolt'. And obviously still confused enough to cuddle with 'Conan' over there.”

“So what?” April hissed. “You do everything you can to NOT be captured by them for months and now we willingly follow them home?”

“Look, I don't know what these creatures out there are or where they come from, let alone how to get rid of them” he whispered. “But they are dangerous and yes, I'd rather go with our annoying ninja friends than die or – worse – lose you or Mikey.”

Frowning April considered his words, not liking what he said. She glowered at him, but knew he probably was right. He could read at least some of these runes and he had seen Leonardo fight. Besides she had to admit that lately she did not have much time for training so that boost of her skill really was suspicious. And if those other mutants really had a place that was protected from monsters like that, going with them was the lesser evil.

“Fine!” She pressed out pouting, stepped to the turtle in blue and handed him the weapon.

“Thank you!” The ninja said politely, sheathing his katanas to receive the magic short-sword. Afterward he turned to Donatello: “Unlock the backdoor with your 'master key', please. The sewer entrance is closer that way.”

When Donnie opened the door, Leonardo stepped out first. He looked around and gestured them to follow. His own brother did and so did April's. The redhead herself hesitated for a moment, meeting Casey's eyes.

“You go first, red!” He winked with a grin and aplayfully gallant bow. “I'll have yer back out there!”

It took some effort not to grin as she was reminded why she had liked the brash but sweet guy so much. But the urge to smile faded when she finally followed Leonardo's lead and could not shake the feeling that she was walking into the lion's den.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I am interested in your thoughts and opinion!


	6. Lightning Chess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, folks. I really was hoping I could keep it up with two chapters each week, but I was wrong. It’s only one this week.  
> Anyway, here is chapter 6 and I hope you guys like it.

Carefully the group went along the building's outer wall. Leonardo led the way, closely followed by Donatello. Raphael was behind them, supporting the still weakened Michelangelo. The two humans brought up the rear guard, now and then turning their heads to be aware of attackers from behind.

April was not happy, Donatello could tell. He was not either. Mikey on the other hand seemed pretty content, still leaning on Raphael for support. Donatello had tried to send him an “are-you-serious?” glare several times but the turtle in orange barely looked anywhere else than in Raphael's face. And the emerald-skinned ninja did not seem exactly unhappy about the whole situation either. With a self-satisfied expression he had his arms slung around Mikey's waist to stabilize him.

Maybe Mikey had a plan. Wrapping the red-banded turtle around his fingers, making him see reason, convincing him to let them go as soon as the immediate threat was over. Yes, maybe Mikey had plan.

'Who am I kidding?' Donnie thought the fraction of a second later.

Calm down. Even out breathing. Focus on the task at hand.

Donatello tried to find his balance again. Usually he was pretty good at staying the level-head his family knew and needed but this night was really taking this ability to the test. When he had gone out, everything had been great, better than ever. They had been so close to achieving their goal. And now? Not only had he walked right into Leonardo and Raphael when trying to save some kids. No, by now the city seemed overrun with demons and those two self declared crime fighters were now his best chance to keep his family alive until dawn.

So far no shadow people had been bothering them and while Mikey still claimed to be cold, he had not announced any changes since they had left the building. But Donatello was not reassured by that. After they – by chance – had discovered Michelangelo's ability to sense magic they had used it for practical purposes several times. People were willing to pay a lot of money for magic items but those who owed such things tended to hide and secure them very well. So Mikey found them and Donnie took care of the security measures.

But never had Michelangelo suffered from the proximity to magic so much. He always claimed that different things felt different, but not once had anything brought him to his physical limits. Then again, even the richest humans did not have a huge collection of magic items and therefor Don's little brother had never experienced such an overwhelming amount of magic. So there was no telling if his skills worked reliable at the moment.

Relieved Donatello registered that they arrived in a street with working lamps. If Leonardo's theory was correct and whoever called the demons also destroyed the lights to strengthen the creatures, the summoner maybe did not sent any of them here.

Leonardo led them in a narrow alley surrounded by dark red brickwalls and a right turn at it's end leading into another dark alley. Abruptly the turtle in blue halted, causing Don to bump into him.

“Look out!” Leonardo admonished low-voiced but harshly, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Donatello.

“I am so sorry!” The genius gave back sarcastically. “I promise to work on my mind reading skills.”

“That's not 'mind reading', it's 'being alert when chased by demons'.”

“Again, I apologize! It's my first time sneaking around an unholy army of monsters.”

“It sure is not your first time sneaking around at all, is it, thief?”

“No, it's just my first time following someone who expects me to guess his moves.”

“Well, you would not have to guess, if...”

“Hey, Beatrice and Benedict”, April hissed. “How about we keep going?”

“Just a moment.” Leonardo sighed. “I might have...sensed something,”

Donatello rolled his eyes, but fell silent. Their current leader was a ninja after all, underestimating his instincts would be unwise. So he waited as Leonardo, eyes narrowed and muscles tensed, let his gaze wander and listened into the night.

 

*

 

Leonardo took a deep breath. It was not like him to be so easily distracted and provoked. A sudden feeling of unease had made him stop in his tracks. His short discussion with the genius behind him had distracted him but now that he focused again, it was still there. So he concentrated on his surroundings, only to find that his eyes and ears could make out nothing, except the faint noises of traffic in the far distance. Deciding that waiting was more dangerous than proceeding, he raised his hand and signaled the group to move.

“A hand signal.” Donatello whispered behind him in fake admiration. “What an idea.”

Suppressing a growl of anger, Leonardo drew another long breath and sneaked towards the corner. Carefully he glanced around and waved his allies to follow him around when he saw no threat. Only a few steps separated him from the sewer entrance that would lead them to the lair. Relieved about having reached this interim stage, he sneaked closer and squatted down to remove the uncover the tunnel access.

“NO! LOOK OUT!”

It was pure instinct that had him react to Michelangelo's call so fast. Without really processing, let alone questioning it, Leonardo leaped back.

It was not a second too soon. A low rumble sounded through the alley from below the manhole cover and in the next moment the heavy piece of iron was catapulted up high into the air like a coin by a huge fountain of viscous black liquid.

Behind Leonardo his brother and Casey cursed, Michelangelo whimpered as if in pain and April gasped in shock. Only Donatello immediately grasped the situation.

“Mikey, April, get back!” He called out. “Jones, Raphael, grab your weapons!”

The sounds from behind told Leonardo that the group, even Raphael, followed Donatello’s words.

The leader in blue readied himself. The ink-black fountain that surged from the sewers changed its form. The streams twirled around each other, melting together, until only two large branches were left. Those soon grew the blade-like claws they had seen at the appendages of the other shadow creatures, just larger. Much larger. Just like its smaller kin the new foe grew an uncanny caricature of a head, other than them its former floaty underside splitted in two, forming sturdy legs. And in addition Leonardo found himself fixated by a pair of glowing red eyes. But it was another difference that made even the calm Hamato heir shiver. The head's lower part suddenly ripped open and an unearthly wail of rage escaped the fiend's maw.

Still roaring the monster rushed towards the leader in blue who was determined to stand his ground. The magic short sword in his hand, he planned on going below the incoming blow and ram the blade into the center of the hellspawn's body.

But a second before the monster reached him, Leonardo suddenly was pushed aside, the sword only brushing along the monster's flank. The next moment he found himself sitting on the ground, the purple-banded thief next to him.

“Are you crazy, Donatello?” He yelled. “I had everything under...”

The loud sound of metal colliding with concrete interrupted him. Looking at the place where he had been standing just seconds ago, he spotted the manhole cover, brought back from his unusual voyage by gravity. Luckily the noise drew the monster's attention, too, so Donatello and Leonardo could jump back to their feet and the rest of the group could back away from the creature.

“These are heavy, you know.” The genius stated dryly, pointing at the cover.

“Thank you!” The turtle in blue breathed out.

“Don't mention it.” Was the laconic answer. “I am sure you'll find a way to make me regret it.”

Leonardo could not help chuckling at that while he positioned himself again. In his periphery he saw the smaller turtle head back to the group, probably in order to protect his siblings.

Leonardo made sure the shadow giant's attention was on himself. Storming towards the monster's flank – or the equivalent there on that grotesque body – Leonardo swung the weapon to make a clean cut along the side. But before the sword even touched the black mass an invisible surge of power drew the ninja's sword arm sideways so that the blade merely grazed along the creature's body.

“What the...”

Leonardo did not have much time to wonder since the attack had nevertheless been enough to anger the monster. A wrathful roar echoed through the alley as the monster charged at him. The creature was a lot faster than his shape or size suggested. The right blade-fingered hand lunged at Leonardo with impressive speed and vicious force. Leo jumped out of its reach, landing a few feet away. After the fracture of a second, the fiend's left came down to the same spot. Only his training, his instincts and luck combined made him evade the second attack at hair's breadth by rolling to the side. Elegantly he jumped back to his feet but his unholy opponent swirled around, for a moment appearing like a tornado of black ink. Leo tried leaping away once more but this time the shadow giant was too fast. One of the black limps collided with the leader's plastron sending him flying along the ground. With several cuts and scrapes on his limps he lifted his gaze to see that he had landed only a few feet in front of his allies. Michelangelo cowered in the corner, breathing and shivering heavily, comforted with light touches and whispered words from his sister. In front of them stood Donatello, his soulful brown eyes flicking around the area. Casey and Raphael had stood by his side, but now rushed to Leonardo.

“What was that, Fearless?” Raph helped him up. “No offense, but that attack was...”

“I know,” Leo nodded. “It was..., no time... Lead them to the entrance near the 'Hanged Man', I will...”

“Again: I won't leave ya ta...”

Another angry roar interrupted the Hamato's impending discussion. The hellish golem ran towards the group. Incredibly fast he picked up speed as he stormed in their direction. Casey, Raphael and Leonardo could have jumped out of reach in time but that would have meant leaving the O'Neils to the creature. Michelangelo and April sat in the alley's corner with no chance to get away in time and no weapons drawn to defend themselves. Between them and the threat stood only Donatello, bo staff ready, also no room to dodge or flee at his disposal. Not that he would have if he could have, Leonardo was sure. There was no way the genius would leave his siblings.

As one Casey and the Hamatos rose their weapons. The attempt was born out of desperation only. All of them were strong and might have been able to block an attack with the huge claws but the creature was about to run them over. To parry that was impossible.

The men could feel the vibrations of the monster's steps draw closer and readied themselves for the impact. The giant was only inches away now and threw its shadow over them. Taking its last step...it was suddenly ripped back.

Blinking in surprise Leonardo watched as whiteblue light engulfed the creature and drew it into the alley it had come from. Near the sewer entrance he spotted three figures. One was a huge humanoid panther with a muscular body in a light leather armor, casually leaning the silver bastard sword in his right over his shoulder. The source of the light was an anthropomorphic cheetah casting the spell that had saved them from the demon's attack. She wore a long red robe with symbols Leonardo thought he had seen before. And the third one was...

“Father?” Leonardo called out as did Raphael.

But before father and sons could talk the shadow creature started to writhe in its magic restraints.

“What's going on?” The panther roared.

“I don't know.” The cheetah answered. “It should not...”

The sinister golem broke free. Immediately it spun around like it had done before. The two cat-like companions were knocked of their feet and slammed against the alley's walls, but Splinter was quick-witted and nimble-footed enough to evade the attack. He escaped by leaping back towards the brickwall behind him. When his feet met the stone he pushed himself to the opposite wall and practically ran along it to reach his family.

“My sons,” he spoke, breathing heavily, “Are you alright?”

The Hamato brothers only had time to give a brief nod. Whatever magic the woman had used on the beast did no longer hold it, but obviously had slowed it down. When it had turned away from the unmoving figures of the two strangers, it took heavy dragging steps towards the group of mutants and humans. It was slow but visibly determined.

Leonardo took one step forward to protect his allies. But as he swung his weapon, the blade again went awry. And he was not the only one to notice.

“Are you in pain, my son? Was your arm hurt?” His father inquired.

“No, father, it started when we fought that creature.” Leo answered. “The weapon seems to avoid it, even though it was obviously made for fighting foes like that!”

“A magic weapon, hmm?” Splinter focused on the sword in Leonardo's hand and then his eyes slid towards the corner in which April held Michelangelo.

“The woman!” The old rat suddenly exclaimed. “Give her the sword!”

“What?” Leonardo was confused.

“Trust me, Leonardo,” his sensei urged. “I know of this weapon, it will only fight for her!”

April got up, leaving Michelangelo to Raphael's care again.

“You heard the giant rat.” She said.

The turtle in blue was unconvinced, but he trusted his father and the monster had almost reached them. With nothing to lose he handed April the sword. Immediately she positioned herself in front of the group. Leonardo was not just going to drop back and he unsheathed his katanas. In the corner of his eye he saw Donatello moving to his side, his own weapon ready.

“Eh, guys?” Casey Jones called for their attention.

Everybody looked at him and after that followed his gaze. In horror they saw that from the main street several of the human-sized shadow people crawled towards them.

“Take care of them!” April spoke, even more resolute than before. “I'll take the big one!”

 

*

 

April suddenly rushed forward, ignoring her brother's plea to wait. She charged at the shadow golem who immediately tried to strike at her. His two arms pounded towards the ground, again and again. The monster luckily was weakened and could not move at the same speed as before. In addition the special powers of the sword indeed seemed to work in the redhead's favor. She gave her enemy a hard time with vicious attacks the foe barely could parry with his two blade-fingered paws. And whenever it failed to block and her blade found his body, roars of pain escaped its maw. Her ability to avoid and evade the demon's hits bordered to prophetic, for some reason she always knew for the fracture of a second in advance where his huge arms would hit the ground.

Still the fiend was huge compared to the slender woman it was up against and each time the ground shook under the monster's forceful strikes she was taken into the air a bit. Doubt crept into her mind, threatening to weaken her resolve and her power.

_You can do that!_

Yes, she could do that. She had to. For Mikey and Donnie.

_Just next time that thing does that double attack, don't leap away, go low and get closer._

Wait, could she actually do that? Why would she even think that?

_In a fight with a giant made of darkness the options sure are limited so..._

April decided to follow the crazy idea in her mind. Soon enough the demon again lifted both of his arms, brought his claws together above his head and let them drive towards the ground. Without hesitation April rolled over her shoulder as she had learned in her ninjutsu class. However she did not move away but towards the threat. And when she rose up on one knee, she pulled the short sword up. Behind her the beast's claws collided with the ground. She felt part of his arms graze her hair. And when she looked up, the blade of her weapon had disappeared in the ink black body of the fiend.

 

*

 

Donatello did not like one bit that April was going against that monster on her own. But with dozens of the other demons approaching their group he had to help keeping them away from Mikey. Casey Jones, the Hamatos and their father were excellent fighters but he could not be sure, his little brother's safety would be their priority.

The old rat, however, was a welcome addition to their fight. Not only did he move quick and hit strong, his presence alone appeared to weaken the shadow creature. Donatello could not have explained it. The monsters had no faces and therefor no mimic to go by. But just like to April's sword they reacted to the rat with avoidance. And since he was so fast that he seemed to be everywhere at once there was no rest for them.

At one time he suddenly stood beside Donatello who tried to keep the opponents away from Mikey.

“What is the matter with your brother?” He asked in a comforting voice

“I am not sure, sir.” Donnie answered. “He has a certain.. instinct for magic. I can only guess that all this is an, for the lack of a better word, overload for his senses.”

“I see.” The rat nodded. “Will you allow me to try to help him?”

The turtle in purple looked into the black eyes of the old mutant and nodded. Besides the fact that his choices were limited, he could not help but feel save to trust the rat. Which was ridiculous with regard to the fact that the two most annoying mutants in the world had called him 'father'. But yet he felt better when the rat knelt besides Michelangelo and put his hands on the turtles shoulders.

“I need you to help me with something, young one.” The old mutant spoke, having Mikey's fearful blue eyes meet his.

Now the turtle and the rat both closed their eyes and suddenly an invisible wave of hope and warmth rushed over the dark alley. The shadow creatures were stunned for a moment. Then they turned and retreated.

“How...” He heard Raphael ask, but Donatello still had other concerns.

Convinced Mikey was in good hands he turned to look for April. His eyes widened as he saw the giants paws fall down to the spot where she was standing. She had enough room to dodge to the left or right or leap back but that crazy redhead decided for a forward roll. Seconds later she almost disappeared behind the huge black arms. But Donnie could see her on bended knee through the creature's limbs, rising up her weapon.

When April dove the sword into the monster's core, the blade stuck in there and the creature let out a last scream of agony. It rose its huge body in the air, pulling her, who still grabbed the sword's handle, with it. As the fiend started to shake in agony, April lost her grip on the metal and was thrown against the alley wall.

“April!” Coherent thought left Donatello upon seeing his little sister colliding with the cold bricks. Moving on instinct he rushed towards her while she groaning tried to scramble to her feet. Only when suddenly a shadow fell over him, darkening his sight, he remembered the thrashing monster. The fiend was running out of his unholy life and fell, unlike his weaker kin not turning to liquid as he did...

Two strong arms grabbed Donatello from behind and he felt his carapace collide with a wall. Slightly dizzy he regained his senses just in time to see the unearthly black foe fall to the ground. Finally it, too, turned into black flakes that soon faded away, leaving only the sword on the ground.

“He looked heavy, you know?” A smug voice told him from his left.

He turned his head and looked up into the ice-blue eyes of Leonardo who still pressed one of his hands at his plastron, keeping him against the wall.

“I guess we're even then.” Donnie answered while he tried to free himself from the strong hold.

“For now.” The ninja in blue said with an inscrutable expression and – ostentatiously slow – let go of the smaller turtle.

Refusing to be intimidated, Donatello left Leonardo standing there and went to check on April who until now had failed to get up. Groaning she tried again, Donatello's hand forcing her to go slow. The old rat rushed passed them with Leonardo in tow to check on the two cat mutants who had come to their aid. The panther was already sitting up, growling annoyed and the cheetah was at least stirring a bit when the Hamatos' father checked her injuries.

“Mikey!” April exclaimed and Donnie followed her gaze.

Their younger brother came strolling towards them with a grin and hugged them both.

“The rat could help you, I see?”

“He totally spoke in my head.” Mikey whispered.

“He what?”

“Yes”, the turtle in orange nodded vigorously. “I heard him speak in my head. He was like 'Can I borrow some of your energy to get rid of this darkness, young one?' and I was like 'Sure, dude, I'm sick of being useless here'. And then he did... something and those goo-jerks bolted. Now I'm a little tired, but I can think straight again. So, totally worth it.”

Donatello furrowed his ridges, unsure what to think of that. Of course he was glad Michelangelo felt better, but it left him uneasy that the old Hamato had been in his little brother's head.

“I did no harm to your brother.” The rat suddenly stood beside him. “He has a rare gift and in the graveness of the situation I took advantage of that.”

“Don't mind Don!” Mikey said as if Donatello was not present. “He tends to overthink. More important: Can you teach me how to do that? Not overthinking, that jedi-trick of yours. I wanna chase monsters away with my mind!”

The old rat chuckled.

“I am not sure what a jedi-trick is, son”, he said, stroking his beard. “But I am afraid that your gift is merely passive. You will always need assistance to use it for an attack.”

“Aww, man...”

“Anyway”, Donatello spoke up again. “Thank you for your help, Mister... ehm...Hamato?”

The rat nodded and went to check on his sons and Casey Jones.

“This is all so weird.” April said when she retrieved her sword. Then she stepped closer to Donnie and whispered: “If we're fast, we can reach that roof with your hooks. Should we try to bolt now?”

“Nah, ya shouldn't. Ma brother wouldn't approve.” Raphael said cocky from behind April and with a wink at Mikey: “Neither would I!”

Michelangelo reacted with a goofy smile, causing his siblings to roll their eyes. They both loved the turtle in orange dearly, but his tendency to become infatuated so easily could be annoying.

“Let's go with them.” Donnie sighed. “I really want to know what's going on.”

“Good decision.” Leonardo said as the group gathered around them.

“Alright!” Donnie ignored the self-complacent look on the blue-masked turtle's face. “What was that thing?”

“Well”, the cheetah spoke, leaning on the panther for support. “You could say, if the small creatures you encountered were the pawns, this one was the bishop!”

“April sure took him of the board!” Mikey joked, elbowing his sister.

“I am, however, not keen on meeting the queen.” Donnie stated dryly. “Maybe we should leave.”

“Yeah, let's make our move before she shows up here.”

“Or we run out of chess analogies.” April chuckled, Casey and Raphael chiming in.

“The sun is rising.” The panther said. “The creatures won't return until nightfall.”

“Still”, Leonardo said. “Let's move to our lair. The magic of the crystals should protect us.”

The leader then pointed at the open sewer entrance and ordered: “Raphael, you first, then Casey and the O'Neils. I'll go after our thieves. Father, you and your friends bring up the rear guard.”

“Very well, my son.” The pride in the eyes of the old rat when looking at his eldest was evident and caused a short rush of painful nostalgia in Donatello. Shaking it of, he went to follow Leonardo's command.

 

*

 

Raphael took the lead and climbed down the ladder.

After he had arrived in the tunnels, he unnecessarily lended Michelangelo a hand to help him down, earning himself a cute smile. Donatello and April arrived next and soon the stream of a small flashlight brightened the sewers.

“What else ya got in that belt of yers, Doe Eyes?” Raphael asked with a grin.

“Professional secret.” The turtle in purple simply responded.

Finally everybody had ascended the steps. In the relative safety of the tunnels the two cats took the chance to introduce themselves.

“I am Yort”, the panther said. “And my comrade is Kala. I am sorry that you were thrown into this. Mages just tend to make a mess.”

“I thank you for your – as always uncalled for – hostility, Yort.” Kala said. “Maybe we should find a more suitable place to exchange accusations, for example towards...hmm... let's say warriors who let their guard down.”

“Oh, don't give me...”

“While I do not think accusations will achieve anything”, Splinter interrupted. “I do agree that we should get to a secure place before going into detail.”

The turtle in red led the way to the lair because he assumed Leonardo wanted to stay behind the O'Neils to keep an eye on them. The younger Hamato chose an unnecessary complicated route to keep the strangers from remembering the way. Donatello probably could keep it in mind anyway and Raphael was not sure about the girl but there was still the code to protect the lair.

“So”, he decided to razz his big brother a bit. “What's the story with that sword, father? Why wouldn't it fight with Leo?”

“Guess the sword just likes me better.” Teased the red-headed woman.

“I don't blame it.” Donatello mumbled, but Raphael heard and so did Leo apparently.

“A sword might not be the best reference one can have.” He retorted in an even voice.

“The sword refused its service to no fault of your brother, Raphael.” Splinter spoke up.

Of course not! Raphael grinned and rolled his eyes. Their father would not stand for a stupid weapon giving Leonardo any shit.

“Then what happened, father?” The turtle in question asked.

“When a weapon, or any item, is put under any kind of magic, sometimes it can happen that the flowing energy attracts a nosy spirit. If that being gets too close at the moment that the spell is cast into the material, it can happen that it is sucked in and sealed inside. This usually increases the magnitude of the spell's effect, but also leads to the item to develop a mind of his own. Depending on the spirit's nature a very stubborn mind.”

“Ya said ya know of THIS sword, sensei.” Raphael remembered.

“Very astute of you, Raphael!” Splinter commended. “Indeed have I heard the story of three swords forged and enchanted to serve powerful and brave warriors to help them protect their tribe. The odds were against them and still they brought many painful losses upon their enemies. But in the end they fell to the overwhelming numbers, their swords stolen by the foe. Not knowing what power they held, they decided to destroy the cherished blades of their enemies for a final humiliation. But somehow this one escaped and is since then known for its powers, but also its antics.”

“Escaped? How?” Raphael wondered. “Mind of its own or not, ya need legs of yer own ta run.”

“Your guess is as good as mine, my son!” The old rat admitted. “The legend claims that a cunning spirit lives in that sword. How exactly it operates, is not spoken of.”

“Is it dangerous?” Donatello asked concerned, probably worried about his sister.

“As my son had to learn, it is to him who wields it against its will”, Splinter answered truthfully. “It is not known that it had ever turned against its chosen.”

“But can it harm her mind?”

“I am right here, Donnie!” April said gruffly. “My mind is fine.”

“Well, for now!” Her brother argued. “Who knows what long-term effects are waiting for you.”

“I will not lie to you.” The old rat said. “A weapon is with you in your most emotional and dangerous times and when a spirit is willing to influence you, it sometimes takes a strong will to withstand.”

“April's as stubborn as they come, Donnie!” Michelangelo laughed. “Calm down.”

The turtle in purple murmured something, but let it go for now.

“'Kay, so there's a dead guy in that sword that likes pretty redheads?” Casey tried to summarize.

“A spirit is not necessarily a dead person, it just can be a wanderer from another plane of existence. I do not know about this spirit's exact nature.” Splinter answered. “But yes, the sword is known for preferring women, though the legend speaks not of a favorite hair color.”

Finally they arrived at the lair. Leonardo made the O'Neil siblings and the cat mutants turn away from the panel as Splinter entered the code.

When Donatello sighed at that, Leonardo looked down on him with an arrogant expression and spoke in a false apologetic tone: “You have to understand, we can't just give any one the possibility to walk into our lair... or out of it.”

“I don't know if I HAVE to understand that,” the genius answered calmly. “But I do. I saw a documentation about paranoia once.”

Raphael tried to suppress the laughter, but failed. He snorted loudly, making Leonardo narrow his eyes at him. Still grinning he cleared his throat and winked at Michelangelo.

“Don't worry, it ain't bad in our lair.” He smirked. “IF you know the right people in there.”

“Let's hope I do!” The turtle in orange teased.

Donatello and Leonardo both raised their eye ridges at this exchange but Raphael could not bring himself to care.

“Do ya need help, father?” The turtle in red after a while asked their father.

“No, no, I know how this works.” The old rat insisted and chuckled. “I guess I should leave the lair more often.”

Finally the door swung open and the guests were allowed to turn around. The thieves‘ eyes widened as they saw the lair. Their eyes wandered along the walls up the high ceiling and – unsurprisingly – lingered at the Elynthian crystals. Simultaneously their gazes descended back to the lower part of the lair where their fell on the kitchen entrance. The all took a step back as Leatherhead stepped out.

“Good evening!” The alligator greeted friendly, sipping his tea from the too small cup.

“Hello...” “Hi.” “Good evening...” The O'Neils answered, slightly intimidated.

“LH, we coulda used yer help out there!” Raphael said.

“Oh, I would have loved to assist.” Leatherhead answered regretfully. “But when I returned from my visit at my old place, I found the lair abandoned. What happened?“

“I apologize, my friend.“ Master Splinter spoke. “I hope I did not worry you too much. But with my friends‘ arrival a danger was revealed to me and I had to find my sons.”

“Everybody is alright, I suppose.”

“Mostly”, Raphael chuckled. “Leo took some scratches, but he can take it. Right, Fearless?”

He patted his older brother's shoulder. The turtle in blue cast him a fake smile.

“I can, dear brother.” He assured. “I am fine. We should now give our attention to Yort and Kala to understand and resolve this situation fast.”

 

*

 

They led their guests to the living area in the lair's center. Only Leatherhead had left after a whispered conversation with Master Spliner.

Leonardo watched from the side how Donatello's chocolate brown eyes scanned every inch of the lair while April's green ones studied the people around her.

“Looking for a way to escape, thief?” He whispered to the genius.

“If so?”

“Oh, I just thought I'll save you the time. Because there is none.”

“Maybe you just don't see it.”

Leonardo had to admit that the turtle in purple had a point there. He would have to keep a watchful eye on the thieves.

The humans and Master Splinter took a seat on the couch while Raph and Michelangelo sat down cross-legged at the floor. Donatello chose to stand and Leonardo positioned himself next to him. Yort and Kala stood behind the living room table, facing the whole group, and the cheetah started to explain.

 

“Yort and I both belong to the Daimyo's Order of the Nexus...”

“What's the nexus?”

“What's a Daimyo?”

“Shh!”

“Later, we have time for questions. Anyway, the Daimyo founded the order after – as some of you experienced first hand – the Battle Nexus was used by travelers that were not all exactly pure-minded. Not only do we eleminate any threat for the Nexus realm, but as far as we can try to protect other worlds as well. Over time we captured and destroyed many dangerous creatures. But some cannot be killed and we can merely secure them.”

“Like demons?” April asked.

“Exactly, Mylady!” Yort nodded.

“The lesser ones we simply banished”, Kala resumed her explanation. “The more powerful beings are held in special prisons to keep them from returning.”

“So, these are the queens and kings on your demonic chessboard?” April asked.

Kala gave a humorless laugh.

“No figure on the chessboard is powerful enough to make a good analogy here.”

“Great...”

“However, the cages combine the best of technology and magic, but...”

“They failed.” Leonardo stated.

“I wish.” Kala cast her eyes downwards. “It was not a weakness of the devices that freed several creatures last night. It was treason. One of our own feel victim to a demon's whisper and set them free.”

“How exactly did they do that?”

“If only our brainy mage knew that, hmm?” Yort crossed his arms, looking at Kala.

“You are not helping!” She growled. “But it is true. Something does not add up. The demons she freed were not held in one place, not even the same dimensions. She could not have deactivated all prisons at once. And still they all broke out at the same time. The cages should prevent the demons communicating with each other, so she must have had other help in each realm.”

“And yer the troop ta clean the mess on earth?” Raph asked. “Two of ya?”

“Right.” Yort affirmed. “And with not much at our hands. After the demon that was held at our headquarters was free, it sealed the building. We cannot get to our most powerful magic weapons, have no access to our archives and our good Kala here is the highest ranked mage at our disposal because she was picking flowers in the garden when it happened.”

“I was collecting herbs!” Kala pouted.

“What exactly is your rank?” Leonardo asked.

“Ehm...apprentice.”

“What?”

“Yes, there were a couple of us outside the building at that point, but I am the one with the best grades so we voted and...”

“Anyway,” Yort interrupted. “She managed to contact someone in the building who told her what had happened. So we know who the traitor is. A woman namedLyness Lilac. She summoned the lesser demons and freed the higher one. The contact broke before we could learn what happened to our comrades.”

“How do you know your contact did not lie. Could he or she not be the traitor?” Donatello asked astutely.

“Oh no! It's a gargoyle.” Kala answered as if that was the most normal thing in the world. “They are horrible liars and immune to demonic mind control.”

“A gargoyle?”

“Yes, a magical gargoyle.”

“I figured that because he obviously can talk.”

“Okay, since we do not have many options to go with, we trust your source for now!” Leonardo decided. “But what do you need us to do? How do we find the demon on earth?”

“After Lyness had freed the demon, he took total control over her mind and body. The same must have happened with any mortal who freed the others. Ironically a demon needs a mortal body to call other demons to his side outside his own realm so he must have taken over a human to have called all these shadow creatures.”

“I asked Leatherhead to collect all reports on the attacks so we have a chance to make out the source.” Splinter said. “I think we will find the demon and its liberator there.”

As if on cue Leatherhead appeared in the living room.

“I could find the information you needed with help of the Utroms.” He said and put a map on the table. “I marked all places in question and you will agree that this speaks volumes.”

The map had several marks on different locations in New York. In the center of all the Xs Leatherhead had drawn a circle. It almost exactly aligned with a place the Hamatos were very familiar with.

“The Foot Tower!” Leonardo and Raphael spoke in unison.

“I knew it!”Donatello spoke. “The kunoichi lied.”

“Or was misinformed.” The turtle in blue said. “Saki does not tell Karai about everything he does. Especially the more sinister things he keeps from her.”

“Tell that ta yerself, Fearless.”

“Miss Oroku's involvement is not important right now.” Splinter intervened. “We need to investigate the Tower.”

“It's highly secured, father!” Leonardo stated.

“Yeah, and if Saki is summoning demons in there, he'll have the doors locked even tighter.” Casey said.

“Donnie and April can get in!” Michelangelo claimed. “I don't remember a door they couldn't open or a system they could not hack.”

“So, I heard, too.” Leatherhead cast a stern look at the older O'Neils. “But that may be a chance.”

“Maybe luck has not left us.” Splinter smiled. “Working together we can find out if there is foul play at the Foot headquarters.”

“Sounds good!” April nodded. “We really need to get to the bottom of this.”

“What she said.” Casey grinned. “I wanna kick demon butt!”

“Oh, that is so great!” Michelangelo exclaimed. “We do our thievy thing, you do your fighty thing. We will be an awesome team.”

“Ya bet, honey!” Raphael nudged the turtle in orange.

Leonardo looked at his family in disbelief. Everybody seemed to like the idea of working together. Only Donatello stood cross-armed as Leonardo himself, apparently averse to the thought, too.

“Father,” the turtle in blue hurried to say. “I do not think this is a good idea. There is no basis for trustful cooperation.”

“For once I agree.” The genius nodded.

“We should lock them up until we dealt with the demonic threat.”

“Here I disagree.”

“Too bad you don't get to vote.”

“My son,” Splinter softly addressed his eldest. “Should a leader not be wise enough to forge an uncommon alliance in the face of a threat as big as this? To 'lock up' a potential ally and therefor valuable skills should only be done for good reasons.”

The turtle in blue studied his father's face and considered his words.

“I...I think you are right, Sensei.” Leonardo agreed.

And he meant it. He must not let his personal grudges get in the way of protecting his family, his friends and everybody else. Sighing he offered his hand to Donatello and looked straight into his eyes.

“What do you say? It is in your best interest to keep this city free from this supernatural threat as well.” Leonardo spoke as placating as he could. “We should put aside our differences.”

Reluctantly the genius took the offered hand and nodded.

“Alright,” he said. “But I need your word that you will do anything you can to keep my siblings save.”

“I swear!”

“Good decision, bro!” Michelangelo clasped Donatello's shoulder. Then he took Raphael's arm and strolled towards the kitchen and exclaimed: “Beware! 'Hell is empty and all the devils are here!'”

“Whatya talkin' 'bout, goofball?” Raphael laughed.

Leonardo and Donatello stood side by side, both crossing their arms again. Now and then side-eyeing each other, they watched their younger siblings laugh and chat together.

“I am surprised your brother read Shakespeare.” Leonardo finally broke the silence in an arrogant tone.

But Donatello just raised an eye ridge at that.

“I am not surprised your's did not.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who had the harder time getting over himself? Leo or Don?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading. As always I am curious what you think. :)


	7. Morning Encounters

It had been a short night. Actually, it had not been a night at all because they had gone to sleep after dawn. Of course Raphael was used to staying up late since they mostly operated at night, but he rarely got to greet the sun after a patrol. Then again, the last night had been anything but usual.

If anyone were to ask Raphael, it was not bad to have the O'Neils here now. Not bad at all. Three cute little thieves right under his nose. He was not going to complain. Sure, Case definitely had dibs on the redhead and Donatello might poison his cereal if he kept hitting on him. But Raph liked Michelangelo better anyway. He was attractive, cute and without any doubt a lot of fun.

After arriving at the lair, he had shown the turtle in orange around a bit before Leonardo insisted of showing their guests their quarters. Luckily their home was spacious enough. Yort and Kala each got one of the smaller rooms, both having their own sleeping bags with them. Leonardo had offered April a room of her own as well but she chose staying with her brothers. The Hamatos had given them a few blankets and a clean shirt for April so she did not have to sleep in her sweaty clothes. Casey Jones himself was the owner of said shirt. Proudly he had pulled it out of Raphael's closet, proving once again that telling him “my house is your house” years ago might have been a mistake.

Especially since he was now snoring in a sleeping bag right in front of Raph's bed. For two hours the tiredness was enough to let the turtle in red sleep despite the noise. But after that the hothead left his room to keep himself from strangling his best friend. Checking on his family, he noticed with a smile that after that night even Leo and his father were still asleep even though it was after 10. Leatherhead was not a morning person anyway.

Shuffling towards the kitchen, Raph halted when he saw a hunched figure sitting on the sofa in the living room. Sneaking closer he recognized the youngest O'Neil. Mikey appeared to be playing Solitaire, but void of any passion.

“Guess a game made fer lonely people ain't much fun, huh?” Raphael grinned while the other gasped in shock. Leaning against a pillar cross-armed, he waited for Michelangelo to recover.

“If there is fun, I didn't find it yet.” The turtle in orange smiled a moment later.

Raph noticed the difference in Michelangelo posture compared to seconds ago. He had been sitting slumped together wearing a depressed look, now he sat straight, his trademark grin back.

“What yer doin' here, honeyball? I thought Leo locked ya guys in.”

“He did.” Mikey nodded. “Donnie picked the lock.”

“Why? So ya could play Solitaire in the living room?”

“Nah, I think Donnie did it to show Leonardo he can.” The turtle in orange waved his hands dismissively, causing a smirk to cross Raphael's face. “I just couldn't sleep and went out. Didn't wanna wake Donnie and April.”

For a second Michelangelo frowned, just to wear his smile seconds later again. Raph did not fall for it. He crossed the room and sat beside the smaller turtle.

“Hey,” he said as comforting as he could muster, his breath hitching a bit when Mikey directly met his gaze. “Ya don't havta worry, okay? Leo promised ta keep ya guys save from these monsters and he will. I will, too.”

“That's not it...” The leaf-green turtle shook his head.

“And we ain't gonna hurt ya either.” Raph promised. “Leo just wants ta see yer brother squirm a bit. Well, it don't really work but he keeps tryin'...”

“Raphael,...”

“He wouldn't harm ya – even if he would, I wouldn't let him.”

“Raphael, I'm not afraid of your brother or you.” Mikey smiled softly.

“Then what keeps ya up?”

The smaller turtle bit his lip and hesitated. But finally he spoke slowly:

“It's stupid, really. I just... I should simply be happy that we're all okay. My family, yours, the big cats we met. But I kinda wish I would've been more useful, you know?”

“More useful?”

“Yeah, you all were fighting these things off and I was out cold – literally – and you even had to carry me!”

“But that ain't yer fault, Mike...Michelangelo...”

“'Mikey' is fine.” The turtle in orange interrupted with a cute smile and a wink.

“Okay, Mikey, ya can call me 'Raph' if ya want.” The brawler grinned. “Anyway, it ain't yer fault that yer – whatever that magical detector in yer head is – reacted so strongly ta these creatures.”

Mikey huffed and pouted.

“Still, it's frustrating. I'm not as smart as Don and April. I know close to nothing about hacking. They can counterfeit stuff, I can't. Sure, I can pick a lock, but they can, too. Don or April do the talking with partners and clients because I tend to say stupid things.” He sighed before claiming: “But I AM a decent fighter. Not like you and your brother. But when I have my weapons and really concentrate, I am good, better than my bro and sis, in a fight. And last night I had my weapons and of course I was focused – my sister was in danger, dammit! But then this things show up and I get slower and l lose focus with every second.”

Raphael scooted closer, slowly to make sure, the other turtle was okay with that. Giving Mikey the chance the to pull away, he carefully put a hand on his shoulder.

“Yer gonna have plenty of chances.” He promised. “Ya heard Kala an' Yort: A lotta demon butt ta kick.”

“Yeah!” Mikey suddenly jumped up. “It will probably take weeks to solve this. That means weeks for me to feel useless.”

“Why would y...”

“It's obvious, isn't it?” The turtle in orange asked rhetorically. “Wherever we'll have to go, those things will be there, too, right? That means I won't be able to fight, again. Probably even be a burden one more time, instead of showing my radical fighting skills.”

The young thief was agitated and visibly miserable. Raphael could absolutely relate to the wish to contribute, to feel needed and not appear mediocre at best compared to an older sibling.

“Ya know what, Mikey?” Suddenly an idea hit Raph. “Remember how ya chased that monsters away?”

“That was mostly your dad, Raph.”

“Yeah, but he can help you.”

“He said that I cannot do that on my own.”

“Nah,” the turtle in red shook his head. “He said ya need help ta use this power actively. But controlling it, keeping it in check, toning it down if needed, I bet he can teach ya that.”

“You think?” Michelangelo's deep blue eyes stared hopefully at Raphael, causing the taller turtle to gulp.

“Sure!” He answered. “He trained Leo and me how ta keep demons and evil spirits outtaour heads with meditation techniques fer years. And ya need ta control some sort of instinct or intuition. I bet Splinter can help with that.”

Mikey was now positively excited and threw his arms around Raphael's neck.

“That is a great idea!” He exclaimed and asked with an adorable puppy dog expression: “Can you ask your dad to help me?”

“Of course, honeyball!” Raphael assured. “But I think he was gonna offer – or order – that anyway.”

“I...I just wanna help, too, you know.” Mikey let go of the other turtle, visibly embarrassed because of his emotional outburst.

“I get it.” The brawler winked and offered: “So, if yer still not up fer sleeping, how about we go ta the dojo and ya show me yer 'radical fighting skills'?”

“Sure thing, dude. But you already know some of them.” Mikey said, following Raph to the dojo.

“Hmm, I remember that 'being cute and smelling nice' trick of yers.” The turtle in red smirked. “That one got me pretty good.”

Michelangelo grinned from one ear to the other.

“Oh,...th...that was nothing.” He tried to quip, but could not hide the deep blush on his face as he entered the training room.

With a smile Raphael followed him and closed the door behind them. No, this was not bad at all.

 

*

 

When April opened her eyes, she was alone. Checking her phone she saw it was past 10, so it was a little bit surprising that Don and Mikey were up. Her brothers were anything but morning persons and last night had been rough and long - not the good way. Donatello most likely had been driven out of bed by the urge to get something done. She knew him well and even though he had acted all unruffled when they had gone to sleep, to her it was obvious that he had done so for his siblings’ sake. Her smart brother did not like the situation one bit, but since he had given into it, it meant he did not have a better solution. And that was something that usually never happened.

With Mikey it was pretty easy to guess that he was all over the red-banded ninja again. April for obvious reasons was not the best to judge the attractiveness of mutant turtles but her little brother had a very hard time taking his eyes off of Raphael. She had asked Don what he thought of the two ninjas and while he had given her a lot of adjectives to work with, none of them judged their looks. Which probably meant he found them handsome, too, but did not want to admit it.

April left her makeshift bed and wanted to leave their room - or prison. But then her eyes fell on the short-sword that leaned against the wall. Frowning she remembered what the mutant rat had told them about it. Was there really someone in there? She knew of magic objects, she had even held a few in her hands before, but an object with a will of its own? That was new. And scary.

She squatted down in front of the weapon and stared at it. Carefully she drew closer until her nose almost touched the blade.

“Hello?” She whispered.

There was no reaction. Of course not. As Raphael had pointed out, the sword had now legs to run with. And it had no mouth to talk with. Duh.

“Ehm…I wanted to thank you.” April continued, feeling a bit silly but also obligated. “Guess I got a little cocky there, thinking that was all me kicking shadowy butt. But apparently it was you that boosted my skills, huh? Thank you for saving my brothers and me.”

After her little speech she was a little indecisive. She knew nothing about rules of conduct in interactions with sentient swords.

“You know what?” She suddenly beamed. “When we help those mages to catch their demons, maybe they can get you out of the sword! I don’t really know who you are. But you certainly did not plan ending up in a sword, right? You saved my family and I will try to free you! Sound good?”

Again, no answer.

“Right, no mouth.” She nodded and realized: “And no ears… You probably don’t understand me.”

Sighing April awkwardly patted the swords handle before she left.

If there was a weak glow emitting from the sword or a light vibration going through it, she did not see it.

 

*

 

Noises from the dojo woke Leonardo up. Glancing at the clock he noticed that it was almost 11. Immediately he jumped out of his bed. But then he remembered the night before. The demons, the Foot clan, the O'Neils, the cat mutants and more demons. Sighing he rubbed his face and went to the bathroom. Afterward he went to unlock the thieves' room only to bump into April who just came out of it. Her red hair was a little disheveled, remains of mascara were smeared around her eyes and she still wore Casey's shirt that barely covered her rear end.

“I need a better lock it seems.” He said with a strict look, trying to focus on her eyes instead of the naked legs,

“Good morning to you, too.” The redhead retorted. “And don't worry. If Mikey or I make any attempts to go out there at the moment, Donnie will help you with that.”

Leonardo decided not to tell her that Donatello himself was his biggest concern, instead he pointed behind him.

“There is our bathroom. You can shower if you want to. Fresh towels are in the shelf. We don't have spare toothbrushes but there should be mouth rinse. We'll get you basic hygiene products later.”

“Thank you.” She said and wanted to leave, but stopped herself to add: “Thanks as well for your help last night.”

“You're welcome.” He nodded curtly.

She smiled lightly and went to the bathroom.

To investigate the noises that had awoken him, Leonardo opened the dojo's door and stopped dead.

There was his dear brother, sitting on top of Michelangelo, straddling him and pinning him down. Both looked pretty content and while the smaller turtle was giggling, Raphael wore a broad grin.

“Well, Mister 'You-may-be-stronger-but-I-am-faster',” he said smugly. “What now, huh?”

“I am working on it.” Michelangelo giggled and tried to wiggle free, to no avail thanks to Raphael's iron grip.

Leonardo cleared his throat. The two others immediately turned to him, but otherwise Raphael did not change his position – and Michelangelo could not.

“Hey, Fearless!” The turtle in red greeted him with a challenging look. “Is there a problem?”

“There are several.” Leonardo answered. “Most of them demons terrorizing New York. So I suggest you wake up Casey and send him to get something for lunch. We can discuss our course of action over a shared meal.”

He turned away to go to the kitchen but could still hear his brother whisper to the thief:

“'I suggest' means in that case 'do what I say or I'll give ya a long boring lecture about leadership and loyalty'. An' I really don't want that. So I gotta go.”

“I understand.” Michelangelo giggled.

Rolling his eyes, Leonardo chose to ignore them. On his way to the kitchen he saw Donatello in the living room. The genius stood near the table, a pencil and a writing block in his hand, obviously deep in thought. Now and then he would scribble something, just to go back to pondering shortly after.

“Good morning.” Leonardo greeted the smaller turtle.

“Hello.” Donatello answered absentmindedly.

“What are you doing?”

Sighing the turtle in purple put the paper down and cast the leader an annoyed look. He seemed calm, but there was a subtle challenge in the brown eyes.

“Well, I WAS making a list, but now I am obviously having a conversation.” He said.

“What kind of list?” Leonardo asked, unfazed. He had the right to know what his captives were up to.

“Of essential things we will need from our apartment.” Donatello said, before adding with a sigh: “Plus things Mikey will make me put on the list even though they are all but essential. Can I install his gaming console here?”

“What?”

“He gets bored without it. Believe me, you don't want him bored.”

Without waiting for an answer, Donatello handed Leonardo the list and turned away to take in the living room. He started mumbling to himself as if the turtle in blue was not there.

“This TV is from the last century anyway. We can put ours there as well as the console. I will need a multi plug of course. But I definitely have to check the energy system's stability first. Speaking of, I should also have a look at the water system. They run out of warm water too fast and it takes forever to heat up. Good thing I repaired that toaster. April will freak if she can't shower hot AND gets no toast. Uh, and I will definitely need LAN cables. Whoever thought wireless was a solution for a place this deep and walls as thick as these. Lord...“

Watching the turtle in purple walking up and down, rambling to himself, now and then bending over to check on the sockets, Leonardo realized that he was naked. Of course he was. Without gear Leo and Raph were, too. But without his tool belt and bo staff, trapped in his own world of thoughts, it was so obvious all of a sudden.

Leonardo could not help letting his eyes wander along the slender but toned body. Like his brother in orange Donatello was shorter than the Hamatos and less muscular, his plastron and carapace had no nicks or scars, there was no visible mark anywhere on that smooth olive-colored skin. And those eyes! They had the color of dark chocolate and if one was close enough, one could see golden sprinkles circling the irises and the pupils, almost like...Enough!

Okay, that might turn out to be a problem. The leader had always chastised his younger brother for all his jokes and innuendos, but Raphael was right with one thing. The thieves were attractive. Leonardo's last physical relationship had ended months ago and unlike Raphael he was not one for meaningless flings, so 'it' had been a while. But it was important that they would not be distracted from their task. No matter how... alluring it looked when Donatello bent over to study one of the lair's power stations and let his little tail flick from left to right?

“Double meditation it is.” Leonardo murmured to himself, aloud he said after a look at the list: “Donatello? What is a Warren-chest?”

“A chest we found in a house of a man named Warren.”

“You know that this is no helpful answer, don't you?”

“Just believe me that the contents of this chest will be helpful.” Donatello turned to meet Leonardo's gaze. “Let me explain it when everybody is present. I hate saying things twice.”

For now the turtle in blue accepted this. He wanted answers, but since Donatello was going nowhere so soon, he would get them sooner or later.

Finally the Hamatos and their guests assembled for lunch. Casey had bought enough pizza to feed a whole army (“I didn't know whatya guys like. So I told Woody ta gimme the 'Party Package'.”) and Leatherhead had put two large wooden tables in the lair's center for not everybody would have fitted in the kitchen.

After they all had their plates filled, Leatherhead was the first to speak.

“I let the Utroms know what we are dealing with.” He said. “They know that the monsters are most likely to return when night falls. Fortunately they have contacts at the NYPD so the police won't be completely clueless.”

“Can you ask them about the lights at their vehicles?” Donatello asked. “They proved to be effective against the demons. The lights at the Foot's van did not.”

“I will.” The alligator nodded, still side-eying the turtle in purple with a little distrust. “Good thinking.”

“I talked to Bishop.” Leonardo said curtly.

“Is that another chess joke?” April wanted to know.

“Nah.” Raphael laughed. “Bishop is an FBI agent we know.”

“Does he do the X-Files?” Michelangelo asked excitedly.

“Kinda, but he ain't half as nice as Mulder or Scully.”

“I don't know who these people are,” Master Splinter spoke. “But Agent Bishop is a valuable yet dangerous ally.”

“And now, Donatello,” Leonardo took the proverbial floor. “I suggest you tell us about that chest on your list and let us all know why you are so well informed about the supernatural.”

“Actually, those two questions are connecte...” Donatello started.

“Uh, Donnie, can I?” Michelangelo immediately interrupted. ”

“Of course, Mikey. You and April can tell that story better anyway.” The turtle in purple smiled.

And Leonardo got the feeling, the story would be told much more elaborate than necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is pretty short, but I had to split the original version in two. I will start proofreading the next one now so it will be up soon.
> 
> Feedback is welcome!


	8. A Thief‘s Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised: Chapter 8 which was originally part of Chapter 7 but became way to long.  
> So don’t accidentally skip Chapter 7, it was published on the same day!

_4 Years ago on a beautiful summer night (when nothing could go wrong because Mikey had everything totally planned)_

 

April and Michelangelo silently stood in front of the sublime manor. It was not huge, just big, not even that compared to the corporal buildings they usually broke into. Still it would not necessarily be easier here. For one, they did not know what to look for. Nobody payed them for going in, grabbing item X, leaving and delivering. They had just jumped the opportunity of that rich dude gone missing a few month ago. The second difference was that they were without Donnie who was lying flat on his back with a fever. Namira had persuaded him to stay at her place because she knew a couple of mutants who had some medical knowledge. Don had protested that he had such knowledge himself, but after a few days even he had to admit that treating himself when feeling so miserable was no good.

“I don't know, Mikey.” April broke the silence. “Maybe we should call this off.”

“No, sis!” The turtle in orange insisted. “This will be the easiest money ever. Nobody's home and you said yourself that the security system is no match for that doohickey you and Donnie built.”

“Speaking of Donnie,” she said. “He is so gonna kill us if he finds out that we are doing a job while he is out.”

“Pfff, you can't know that for sure.”

“He literally said 'I don't want you two to do a job while I'm out!'.”

“Number one, it's not really a job cause nobody sent us,” Mikey argued. “Number two, he will totally change his mind when Namira throws money at him for the cool stuff we're gonna find.”

“We can't even be sure...”

“April, who takes the effort AND spends the money to install high tech security into an old house like that if there is nothing worth stealing?”

For a moment the redheaded girl hesitated.

“I...guess you're right...”

“No guessing needed, sis, this is 'knowing'!”

The O'Neils walked around the high wall surrounding the old building. The small gate at the back of the yard was much less illuminated than the main entrance and further away from any regularly frequented street. Nevertheless this entry point, too, had a security panel that kept it locked tight for the unauthorized. But not for April. She connected the hacking device to the panel. It only took a minute before a relieving buzzing sound chimed and a friendly green light appeared at the lock.

The siblings grinned at each other and slipped through the door. Sneaking along the red bricks of the stone wall, April kept a look at her notepad.

“Wait.” She finally said. “The system is showing. I just need to get in now.”

Michelangelo nodded and while his sister did her thing, he took in the garden. It was not very well-kept. The plants were beautiful but it was obvious that nobody tended to them. They grew as mother nature told them to. The small fountain in the yard's middle was turned off – or not. Maybe the water just could not flow due to all the mold and algae growing over the nice marble. It was possible that the plants blocked the drain. Sighing Mikey thought that he would never disregard a home like that in the way the current owner did. Then again, the guy who owned this place, Edgar Warren, had been missing for a while now. Maybe he had gardener, but stopped paying him.

The house itself was old, but sturdy. Ivy grew along its walls which only added to the charm. Behind the windows dark curtains framed the glass, their exact color unrecognizable in the spare moonlight. Suddenly Mikey froze and furrowed his eye ridges. Did one of the curtains just move? No, nobody was home. The police reports April had hacked into said that they had looked for the guy in the house first. They neither had found him nor any other living soul inside.

“I'm in!” April said triumphantly and added shortly after: “Aaaaand the alarm is off!”

“But it was activated before?”

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“Nothing.”

Michelangelo shook off the eerie feeling that suddenly overcame him. If someone was in there, they would have triggered the alarm. The house was old, so were the windows. Probably the wind had slipped through and moved the curtain.

Picking the lock of the front door was surprisingly easy. Obviously the owner's trust in his high tech security system was strong enough to neglect the simply mechanical safety measures.

April let out a whistle when she let the flashlight's bright stream slide along the entrance hall. They had seen more pompous houses in movies or on pictures, but still they were impressed. Several doors on the ground floor led away from the hall and there was a double-leaf door near the upper end of the broad stairs in the center.

“Let's split up.” April said, handing him her spare flashlight. “Up or down?”

“I'll go up.” Mikey said quickly, more curious about the private quarters that would probably be on the higher floor.

Obviously knowing what was going on inside his head, his sister grinned.

“Alright, Mr. Snoop.” She joked and offered him one of the bags she had brought along. “But if you're done with reading the magazines under the beds, collect some valuables, will you?”

Sticking out his tongue playfully, he took the bag and went up the stairs. He was a little surprised to find the upper double door locked, too. As far as he knew the missing guy lived alone. Who would he lock his private chambers from? Maybe he had a nosy cleaner. Frowning he noticed that this lock was more complicated than the one on the main door. Keeping the flashlight in his mouth steady while lock-picking was not easy and it took him three attempts to open the door.

A corridor with a t-junction at its end was revealed to him when he pushed against the wings. Currently he could see two doors on his left and one to his right. Shrugging he went to one on the left as it was the closest to him.

He found a study behind it. Despite being dusty and a little stuffy, the room was pretty cozy. In front of a small fire place stood an old-fashioned wing chair next to a small table. Along the wall to his left two bookshelves offered a lot of reading material for long evenings and beneath the window a neat writing desk invited any observer to put some smart words to paper. But as nice as the room was, it offered nothing of value. Sure, some of the books could have been super rare and therefor expensive but none of them looked special to Mikey. He should let April have a look at them later. Just as he was about to leave, a reflection caught his eye. On the desk something threw back the flashlight's stream. A paperweight about the size of a palm sat there. Not his palm. April’s maybe. Amused he noticed that is had the shape of a little green turtle. Green and shiny. Was this jade? Mikey took it. If it was jade, that thing alone was worth all this effort. If not, it was still a cute gift for Donnie and it did not weigh much. Self-satisfied he opened his bag and put the little turtle in when suddenly...

“And who would you be?” A tender voice spoke behind him.

Whirling around Michelangelo looked at a beautiful young woman who stood in the door's frame, smiling an inscrutable smile at him. Long brown hair framed a soft featured face with deep dark eyes. Her slender body was dressed in an elegant red dress that due to his length would have been modest would it not have been hugging her curves so tightly.

“I...I can explain...” He stuttered.

She laughed at that and in his ears it sounded like the wind chime his mother had gifted to him. Where did this thing disappear to after their move to New York?

“I am sure you can.” The woman spoke as she walked over to the fire place. Lighting a match, she winked at him: “But let's get it a little warmer and cozier in here first.”

“Uh uh...” Mikey was mesmerized by the way she moved through the room, barely making a sound. Did she even touch the ground? Lighting the fire she hummed a familiar song. A lullaby he had not heard since his parents had passed. He found his lips silently forming the lyrics

Somewhere deep inside him he had the feeling that all this was somewhat strange. That there was a question he should ask.

“W...wait!” He finally said and while gesturing along his face and body asked her: “Aren't you afraid of me? Of that?”

“How could I be afraid of someone like you?” She purred. “Someone so handsome, strong and brave?”

Her voice like a weave of silk wrapped around his mind. All his thoughts were a twirling mess, like dozens of vegetables put in a blender. Still there, but blurry and slowly melting together until there were not to tell apart anymore. Just one thought remained clear: The thought of her. Her hair, her eyes, her body, her voice, the way she elegantly walked, almost floated towards him.

“You are perfect the way you are.” She husked when she had reached him, her scent invading his nostrils. It smelled like the cookies his mother used to make for him, a recipe April followed when she made some, but they never tasted like Mom's.

“S...so...so are y...you.” Mikey managed to stutter.

Rewarding him again with her melodious laughter, she stroked along his cheek.

“Why, thank you, my prince.” Her slender arms went around his neck as she leaned her forehead against his. She was a little bit taller than him and had to look down to meet his gaze with her beautiful black eyes.

Black eyes? Did humans have black eyes? No matter. Who was he to judge? Why should he care about that? Why should he care about anything when right here, right now in her arms life was perfect.

He offered no resistance when she took his hands and pulled him closer to the room's center. The warm light of the fire illuminated her beautiful face, making it look almost divine. Convinced to be the happiest man alive when she closed her eyes and leaned in, he did the same.

 

*

 

April was satisfied. What she had found so far would not make them rich, but cover some bills until Donnie was back on his feet. A few old-fashioned candleholders, a set of valueable silver cutlery and a statuette of a dog that was incredibly ugly, but appeared to be made of silver. At least they did not come here for nothing.

Sure, Donnie would not be happy that she had Mikey let persuade her to do this, but the end justifies the meaning, right? Yeah, he would not see it that way...Pushing the thought of facing her angry big brother aside for now she headed for the next room.

It was a meeting room of some sort.A pretty outdated computer sat on the desk in the room's center. The decoration was tasteful and the furniture expensive, but not special. As a whole the room was elegant yet impersonal, so most likely used for business meetings. The only thing left a mystery was the nature of the business done here. No brochures, books or posters that advertised any kind of service.

Shrugging April started collecting the decorative souvenirs from the shelves that looked valuable. When she was done, she let the flashlight glide along the room one last time and halted. The elegant curtain on the window's left was folded in a weird way. While the other fell almost to the floor, this one's lower part had been creased and put on the window sill. Curiously April stepped closer to unfold the fabric and found that a huge part at the end had been ripped off. Frowning she shook her head. With a house so big and so many expensive pieces furniture one would think the owner could afford repairing a ripped curtain instead of badly covering the damage. How did that even happen? That was not a cat's doing and if such a big dog had lived here, she would have found traces of that. Getting a bad feeling she aimed her flashlight to the floor. Around the chair behind the desk were black smudges and traces that told of the chair being moved around fast and put back. The other chair stood on the carpet whose texture was disturbed, even though the seat's legs sat perfectly in the molds they had left in the carpet. A second look at the shelves showed that around some items the layer of dust was not a thick as the rest. April was getting the feeling that a fight had taken place here and someone had tried to cover it afterward. But who and why?

Reminding herself that she could not do anything about it anyway since calling the police was out of the question, she wanted to find Mikey. She did not like the house as much as she had liked it a few minutes ago. She'd help him clear the upper level so they could leave. Before she reached the door, a reflection caught her eye. Hidden beneath the desk a small golden object twinkled and invited the curious thief to come closer. It had a weird shape and it appeared to be incomplete. Cheek on the floor and butt in the air April peered under the desk lighting the space with her flashlight.

“Gotcha!” She grinned and grabbed another golden object from beneath the furniture. It was not hard to see that those two pieces belonged together. She stuck them together, forming a small oval item that looked like something one could buy in a very kitsch-orientated decoration-store. The two pieces held only loosely together and did not seem to match quiet right. So she took them in both her hands, pressed them together and turned. A clicking sound, almost as pleasant as the one a picked lock made, met her ear as the two parts became one.

Wondering if the gold was fake or not, she turned the thing in her hand when it suddenly started to glow for a moment. She almost dropped it. Blinking she scratched her head. Just as she was starting to doubt to really have seen that, the glow reappeared.

Fighting an inner battle whether to drop the thing, grab Mikey and leave that house or play around with the pretty mysterious object to find out everything there was to know about it, she decided for a comprise. She would take it to her younger brother to show it to him.

She returned to the main hall, registering another glow from the strange egg in her hand. But when she came near the stairs, she noticed a change in the object's behavior. The closer she got to the entrance's hall center the more frequently the thing lit up. This even became more obvious while she ascended the stairs. When she reached the huge door at the top it was no longer an occasional glow, but a constant blinking.

For a second she wondered why Mikey had closed the door behind him. But then she just opened it and looked down the floor behind. Immediately her eyes fell on a door to her left that was slightly ajar. Confused she noticed the flickering light and the faint crackling in the room. Even her little brother could not have set something on fire in such a short amount of time, could he?

Her first instinct was to run in and look for Mikey, but something stopped her. Instead she slowly and carefully drew closer to the door and peered through the gap. At once her eyes widened.

There was Mikey, eyes closed, moaning, writhing in pleasure, a part of his body she had never seen before (and could have done without for the rest of her life, thank you very much) standing out proudly and his lips pressed on another pair of lips.

The owner of the latter was a beautiful woman with long brown hair and a seductive figure. But the strange string of red wavering light that connected her mouth with Mikey's was concerning. Without further ado, April pushed the door open.

“Get away from her, Mikey!” She called.

But her brother did not react. The woman opened one eye to glance at her. There was a flicker of red in her iris when she gave an evil grin before closing her lid again.

“Leave my brother alone!” April growled. She threw the golden egg at the stranger's head. The woman screeched and let go of Michelangelo, the red string disappearing when the contact broke. With all her might April slammed her bag against the woman's body, the silverware in it rattling on impact. The redhead then grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him away from the female. In her periphery she noticed that the golden object she had found was now glowing permanently.

“You worthless filthy creature!” The woman shrieked.

“What...Whoa!” Mikey awoke from whatever influence he was under and gasped at the sight of his former kissing partner. Her face had changed. In a way she was still beautiful, but her eyes were bigger now, glowing red in wrath and her mouth contorted in a way that was not human.

“Your sister is quite rude, my prince!” The brunette said. “Let me take care of her so we can go back to our date!”

With in a second the woman's long red nails turned into sharpened claws that she aimed at April's head. Thinking fast Michelangelo grabbed a thick old book from one of the shelves and shielded his sisters.

The woman's claws plunged through but were stopped before reaching her target. Leaving the angry monster to her wails of anger and to the book stuck on her hand, the siblings grabbed each other and ran out of the room. April wanted to rush towards the double-leaf door that led to the stairwell, but to her confusion and horror Michelangelo pulled her further into the corridor. Being stronger than her, he easily dragged her along, around the curve and into a huge bedroom. Outside they heard the creature cursing and screeching. As if of one mind, brother and sisters stepped beside an old closet next to the door. They pushed against it as hard as they could and watched it fall in front of the door.

“That was close.” Mikey breathed out.

“Mikey, please!” April whined. “Put it back.”

She covered her eyes and it took him a while to understand what she meant. Blushing he tucked his penis back into its protective pocket.

“Sorry…” He said but his sister was already frantically searching the room.

“Shit, Mikey!” She exclaimed. “You found the one room that has no windows! How we're gonna get out of here? Why didn't you let us run downstairs?”

 

*

 

That was a good question, Mikey had to admit it. Since the moment he had been ripped out of his trance he had a very bad feeling. Sure that was to be expected in the face of a woman turning into a monster. But it was more than being afraid or scared or horrified. It was like the woman was a ventilator but instead of wind she was spreading dread. Dread he could literally feel creeping along his skin. It was weaker now that she was no longer in the same room as him, but still there.

And the reason he had wanted to run into this room so badly was that from here he felt something else. Something better. Something that evened out the dread the creature outside handed around.

On the other side of the door the woman screamed and raged. She slammed against the door and the vibrations made pretty clear that not even the combined power of that sturdy old door and the heavy closet would keep the beast outside forever.

But Michelangelo was calm. He needed to focus. Even though April panicked and cursed her phone that had no signal, he knew that the answer was somewhere here.

The room was pretty elegant. Two huge wooden closets with fine carvings (one currently laying sidewards), a cozy reading corner with a small table and a comfortable looking armchair and in the center a huge bed.

There was a prominent image above the bed's headboard. Five wavelike lines had been carved in a wooden panel, each decorated with blue stones at both sides. Curiously Mikey climbed on the bed to study the creation. The closer he got, the more he was convinced that the blue stones were humming. And that soothing feeling he had seemed to have its source somewhere here.

“What are you doing there, Mikey?” April asked in a high-pitched voice. “There is a monster outside, a real fucking monster. It's not the time to jump on the bed. We need to find a weapon.”

“April, come here.” He waved her closer, barely listening to her.

Giving up she climbed on the bed, too, with a sigh.

“I really would prefer looking for something to defend ourselves instead of looking at ugly art.”

“Don’t you hear that?”

“No?”

“But you feel it?”

“Feel what?” From the look April gave him it was clear that she thought he was losing it. Or had already lost it.

“It don’t know. It feels…yellow, no… orange, or gold?”

For a second April stared at him. Then she spoke, slowly and softly.

“Okay, baby.” She cooed. “You’re in shock. You lie down here for a sec and I’ll see if I can make stakes or something out of the furniture.”

She tried to tenderly press him down but he simply ignored it. He focused on the ten blue stones in the carving. Slowly but steadily three of them started to glow.

“There! April! Look at the three shiny ones!”

“They all look the same, Mikey, you really should…”

Without hesitating any further Michelangelo pressed against the stones in question. They immediately sunk deeper into the wall and a metallic sound reached their ears. April shrieked when part of the room suddenly started to turn. It became clear that the bed stood on a platform that connected the bedroom to another hidden chamber behind. Maybe an escape route!

The downside was the horrible stench that greeted them on the other side.

 

*

 

With a ‘clunk’ the platform came to a halt. Wide-eyed April stared at the secret room Mikey had discovered by…by doing what exactly? To her it just had seemed like he had snapped.

Of course this room gave her some hope. Maybe there was a secret passage leading outside. She had read about things like that and this was an old house obviously belonging to an eccentric.

But the horrible smell in this area was really concerning. Hopefully this was not toxic or something like that.

Mikey jumped of the bed and helped her down as well. Both were startled as with another scrapping sound the platform started moving again to resume its original position.

The room was small and empty except for some weird glowing symbols at the wall. April started to check for more hidden buttons, levers or other triggers, but her brother as if on autopilot went straight for a symbol that looked a little bit like a lightning bolt. He traced it with his fingers and… it worked. But there was no rumbling or rattling or any sound a mechanical system would make. One of the walls simply disappeared, revealing another, bigger room.

“Wow!” They both breathed out.

A deafening thrashing sound behind the double-wall told of the monsterwoman’s success to break down the bedroom door. A short sound of triumph was soon followed by screeches and wails of rage. The siblings grabbed each other’s hands and retreated from the platform

“Where? Where? Where?” The woman kept repeating and after a while she hissed, barely audible anymore: “Like the other…how? How? How?”

April and Michelangelo hurried to the newly revealed room in hopes of finding an exit. Stepping in they found the stench grow worse and as April turned her head to the left, she stumbled backwards against her brother who had the right mind to quickly cover her mouth. At the wall slumped together in front of a writing desk laid the corpse of a man. The poor guy had been dead for weeks if not months from the looks of it. Recovering from her shock, April gave Mikey a curt nod to signal that he could free her mouth now.

“Sorry, sis’.” He said after letting go of her.

“No, that was good and fast thinking!” She commended him. “I would have screamed loud enough to attract every horror lady in the neighborhood.”

For a moment they bathed in the luxury of a short shared chuckle. Then they searched the room and were stunned. Bookshelves, simple but filled to the brim stood along the wall opposite of the entrance. A huge collection of weapons decorated the wall and filled several chests on the right sight. And a shelf full of flasks and phial stood next to the desk with the poor dead man. In addition there was a very simple bed in one of the corners.

To her dismay April spotted a notebook or something similar on said desk. She really did not want to go near the corpse, but she had a feeling that every piece of information was needed. Without looking at the man she snatched the book and retreated backwards from the desk, as if afraid the guy could suddenly grab her.

 

Back in the room’s center she started to read. It was a journal of some sort. Most of it she did not understand and if she had not witnessed a woman attacking Mikey with red strings of light and turning into a monster minutes ago, she would have thought the content to be nothing but the twisted thoughts of a mad man. He, obviously Edgar Warren, described in detail how he hunted monsters! Demons, vampires, werewolves. Name it.

 

It was too much to read now, she needed information about her current situation. So she skipped a lot of pages and read the last entries:

 

_**I cannot believe she tricked me. Me! I should smell a succubus’ trickery miles away by now. But she must have found a weak moment. Who knows how long she has been watching me. When she knocked on my door, I did not even think to test her. I am still not sure how she could pass the front door. Did she bewitch the gardener to mess with the protection spell? I did not see him last Sunday.** _

_**Still, I was careless because she looked so perfect with the long blond hair and the pretty blue eyes. It was a coincidence I opened the drawer with the tracker and saw it glowing. But instead of bluffing, I stared at it like a fool for a few seconds. Of course she noticed and attacked me. She managed to kiss me and drain a lot of my energy. But she had not caught me completely unawares and so I was conscious enough to ram my dagger in her heart. For her it’s not deadly, but still painful. That screams are still ringing in my ear. I made it to the sanctuary. Here is everything I need.** _

__

_**It took me days but the weapon is ready. The enchantment should work just fine. And I renewed the house’s protective spell. She cannot leave! Just a few hours rest and I will teach that bitch to attack me in my own house!** _

__

_**Damn that creature. She took more out of me than I had first thought. Magic weapon or not… I cannot fight her.** _

_**You, poor soul who reads this: You should not have come here, but I guess you figured as much by now. At least you made it here so you have a chance. Take the katana that…** _

 

“No, no, no, no.” April cursed under her breath after looking at the weapon collection, containing at least a dozen katanas. “Take which katana?”

 

*

 

That was so typical. Here they were in a super-secret treasure chamber/batcave and April started reading. Michelangelo was neither interested in that dead guy’s diary nor in the gazillion of books on the wooden shelves. But the supercool weapons he studied intensely. Especially since that pleasant feeling grew stronger when he started examining them. Like with the blue stones, some of the weapons suddenly developed a faint glow.

“Cooooool.” He whispered, grabbing a shining dagger.

In the background he heard April cursing and turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mister Warren died a few seconds too soon.” She huffed.

“If you ask him he’d probably say a few years too soon.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Sorry, I did not mean to be disrespectful, but obviously he made a weapon that helps against the otherwise invulnerable demon bitch out there, a succubus by the way. But he was out before writing down which one it was.”

“Maybe it’s one of the glowy ones.” Mikey suggested.

April furrowed her brows.

“Glowy ones?” She repeated. “None of them are glowing, Mikey!”

“Yes, they are.” The turtle in orange insisted. “And feel very nice…”

“Mikey, what do you…” She stopped. “You said the stones that activated the passage were glowing, too, right?”

“Yes.” Mikey nodded.

For a moment April pondered.

“Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing tonight.” She mumbled before asking: “Is one of the ‘glowy ones’ by any chance a katana?”

Mikey focused on the katanas but none of them had that special light surrounding them or felt different. But then he checked the small room and rushed over to the small bed. Unerringly he removed the blanket.

“Tada!” He grinned, gesturing at an elegant katana with a faint glow.

April obviously did not see the light because she asked: “Is that it?”

Mikey nodded.

“Makes sense.” She said. “He wanted to rest before he fought the demon, maybe he wanted it close by in case she broke through.”

“Well, now we have it!” The orange-banded turtle announced proudly.

“That’s great, yes.” April sighed. “But I am not very good with long-bladed weapons and neither are you.”

That was typical, too. There he was, holding a super-powerful “katana of succubus-killing” and April had to bring in common sense.

 

*

 

On shaking legs April stepped into the corridor. The bedroom behind her spoke of the demon’s wrath. No piece of furniture was left unscratched, no vase was unbroken and no curtain unshredded. But now the unholy creature was not to be seen or heard anywhere. Always close to wall April sneaked through the darkened house, her flashlight in one hand, the katana in the other. There! The double-leaf door that led to the stairs down was right in front of her. Almost done.

She reached for the handle and turned it. In the next second she was engulfed in red light. Before she could react, she was brutally ripped back by an unknown force and landed hard and painful on her back. Her wrists slammed to the floor, the impact letting the katana slide from her grip.

With her blurry vision he saw a thin hand with long sharpened nails curl around the weapons handle.

“Oh,” husked a soft voice. “Did the old guy do some crafting before he left us?”

She chuckled at April’s moan.

“Don’t overdo it, dear, you fell quite hard. Your brother is still hiding, I see? I wonder if your cry of death will lure him out…”

Making no sound the succubus drew nearer. The katana in hear hands she hauled off and halted... and snickered.

“Oh, poor dear!” She mocked. “Even a decent fighter could not have beat me. The old man failed. That thing is useless. There is no magic in…urgh.”

A flash of silver flared up. A metallic sound rang through the corridor as the katana fell from the demon’s hands. Slowly her gaze went down to her chest and fell on the blade protruding from her chest. Now April saw the weapon glowing, too.

“Yeah,” she commented dryly. “That’s because all the magic is in that one.”

A bloodcurdling cry of pain and fury escaped the succubus’s mouth before her body deflated and she finally was sucked in a black whirl that seconds later disappeared.

When she was gone, April’s eyes locked with Michelangelo’s. He stood there, the magic katana still in hand, staring, obviously still processing. Finally he helped her up. Breathing heavily they fell in an almost bone-crushing hug. After the exchange of a few soothing words, they parted, locked eyes again, pointed at each other and spoke simultaneously:

“You tell Donnie!”

 

*

 

_Today in a secret lair beneath New York (when everybody is staring at Mikey after learning how awesome he is)_

 

“You”, Master Splinter asked with raised brows. “Kissed a succubus?”

“Yepp!” Mikey nodded. “She was super-hot.”

“She tried to kill you.” April sighed.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t say she was super-nice…”

“And you”, Leonardo spoke in disbelief. “Killed her.”

“I did, dude!”

“With a katana you found that can hurt demons?” The turtle in blue inquired further.

“Hmm, I thought you would like that part.” Donatello smirked at Leo before winking at Mikey.

“So that ‘Warren-chest’ contains what exactly?”

“Well, we possess three Warren-chests.” April explained. “After we defeated that bitch, we went to Donnie. And after we convinced him that we did not hit our heads and/or consumed any drugs...”

“Which took way too long!” Mikey interrupted, pouting at Don.

“Hey, be fair. You guys had watched that Buffy-marathon the weekend before and…”

“Anyway”, April drew the attention back at her. “When he finally believed us, we drove the van to the house and took every piece of information with us. To be prepared, you know.”

“And all the glowy weapons!” The turtle in orange added.

“That’s why you were so well-informed?” Leonardo asked Donatello.

“Well, yes. I read as much in Warren’s books as I could.” The genius confirmed. “But the creatures of last night were new to me.”

“I am not surprised.” Kala said. “Most of the demons were imprisoned centuries ago. And even before… There are so many universes, maybe they never have been on earth before their capture.”

“Alright.” Leonardo said. “Kala says she cannot access the Order’s archives which means any piece of information about the supernatural is of value. And books from the house of an actual monsterhunter are probably more reliable than whatever we find in the public library.”

“Not ta speak of the fact that we aren’t welcome in the public library.” Raphael remarked.

“That, too.” The leader nodded and ordered: “We’ll get these chests and the other things you need from your home and I will see if I can learn something from Foot Headquarters.”

Everybody returned to their meals and Michelangelo was pretty content. He sat next to Raph, there was pizza, they had gotten to tell the story of his fight against a demon and the old rat would soon teach him how to control his gift. Demons or not. Life was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me your thoughts!


	9. Ups and downs

Casey was nervous. And happy. And excited. After a long and exhausting discussion, Donatello had agreed that April and Casey would go to the O'Neils' home and get their van as well as the most needed stuff. So finally he got his chance to be alone with his redheaded crush and maybe find out if now that the mutant problem was no longer a problem, there was a chance for them to go out again. After solving the supernatural crisis, of course.

April's big brother had not really liked the idea. Of course he was worried about his sister being out in a demon-infested city. However, Casey could not shake the feeling that the turtle in purple was not too fond of him as a person and a bodyguard either. But Leonardo had managed to convince Donatello that the two humans were the only ones who could do it.

"Moving through town at night is dangerous at the moment, Donatello.” The leader had argued. "Especially on foot. April and Casey can walk around in the safety of daylight. When we have your car, we maybe can talk about going all together after dusk to get the rest.”

Despite his obvious animosity towards Leonardo, Donatello was not the type to put rational thought behind emotions and had finally nodded.

Still only dressed in Casey's shirt and a makeshift towel-skirt, April went to Raphael's room to skim through Casey's remaining spare clothes. While they waited, the young man was determined to win Donatello's approval, or at least make the turtle hate him less.

Right now the purple-masked genius was sitting in Leatherhead's lab and studied some floor plans of the Foot tower, provided by Leonardo. Said turtle was keeping a watchful eye on Donatello while Raphael leaned smiling against a workbench and quietly chatted with Michelangelo. Leatherhead was working at his computer, appearing not to mind the intrusion to his sanctuary.

"Sooo,” Casey began, sitting down on the table Donatello was reading at. "Ya and yer siblings lead a pretty exciting life, huh?”

"It's unusual, but two out of three living family members are mutants, so that is to be expected.”The turtle answered without looking up.

"Right...” Unwilling to be discouraged, the human went on: "Ya know, I always wondered how ya could stay together after...”

He stopped. Bad topic. Damn.

"Our parents' death?” Donatello finished. "We created a fake identity and paid a hobo to play April's uncle for a couple of occasions. After he got custody for her, we waited until she turned 21. Poor 'Uncle Randall' disappeared, leaving a suicide note and his soaked wallet near the Hudson.”

"Ya killed the hobo?” Casey asked wide-eyed.

"Wha...Why would we...?” For the first time the turtle in purple lifted his head and looked at his conversational partner. "No, Jones. The hobo took his money after the custody issue was solved and left. Of course we faked the death of our none existing uncle. Geez...”

"Oh, yeah, sure.” The young man stuttered embarrassed.

Donatello turned his gaze back to the plans after making an exasperated noise. Everybody was now looking at them and Casey felt his face burning. While Leatherhead and Leonardo looked at the genius, obviously astonished by the resourcefulness of the O'Neils, Raphael and Mikey were focused on the human and did not even try to hide their laughter at his cost.

Casey narrowed his eyes at his so-called best buddy but the turtle in red only shrugged with a grin. Still not giving up, the former vigilante took a short breath and tried again.

"Interesting names ya got.” He said. "It's kinda funny, huh? I mean yer Donatello and Michelangelo. And the other two mutant turtles are Leonardo and Raphael. What a coincidence.”

"Our parents were well-educated people with an interest in many forms of art.” Donatello shrugged. "Obviously the same applies to Leonardo's and Raphael's father.”

"But why 'April' then?” Casey pondered, convinced to finally have found a good subject. "Shouldn't she be named, I don't know... 'Venus' or somethin'?”

Now Donatello looked up again, directly gazing into Casey's eyes.

"Why that?” He asked in a dark tone, making the human gulp.

"Ehm, ya know... Donatello, Michelangelo, Venus.” He tried to explain. "Art stuff.”

"And why, Mr. Jones,” the turtle in purple inquired with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Would my brother and I be named after persons and my sister after an object?”

"I... ehm... I did not mean...” Casey stuttered.

"April was my grandmother's name.” The redhead in question entered the laboratory. Apparently there had been nothing suitable for her to wear, because she was dressed in her worn clothes from the night before. She explained further: "Grandma died only a few weeks before my birth. Mom was sad that her mother never got to know me and wanted to honor her.”

"Which is definitelybetter than being named after a half-naked woman made of stone with no arms and no mind of her own.” Donatello was unwilling to let Casey of the hook, but April defended him.

"Shush, Donnie. Female Renaissance artists are rare.” She said, gesturing her brother to return to his work. "Casey probably did not know any.”

"Oh great, so he is a misogynist AND a philistine.” The genius grumbled before turning his attention back to the floor plans.

Rolling her eyes, she pecked her older brother's cheek and blew the younger a kiss. As she dragged Casey out of the lab, Leonardo followed them to lead them through the sewers. Raphael stayed behind and as the human male turned to him one last time, the turtle in red gave him a thumbs up and a very sarcastic grin.

Leo brought them to the entry point they had used the night before. After a few unnecessary reminders of being careful, not taking risks and calling immediately if something went wrong, he ordered them to drive the van to an abandoned warehouse two blocks from the lair once they were done. They had used the place several times to unload goods or meet with people they did not trust enough to be in the lair.

Casey and April left the sewers and sneaked to the alley's corner. Unsurprisingly there was a lot of chaos. Broken cars, remains of shattered glass, cracks in the pavement and other damages. Policemen patrolled as well as some suspicious suits with sticks up there asses who Casey assumed were Bishop's men and women. He did not see any Utroms but that did not surprise him. After a few hundred years on Earth they knew how to blend in.

April had her sword wrapped up like she had just bought it, in case someone would questioning her about carrying a blade. But no one bothered the pair on their way to the apartment. What could the police have done anyway? Check their IDs to make sure that they were no shadow demons?

Carefully they entered the O'Neils home. It was not huge so they could check if they were alone very fast. Convinced that they were save here, April went into a bedroom, apparently her own, and gestured Casey to look away while she changed into non-ripped clothing.

"All done!” She told him cheerfully after a while.

When he looked in her direction again, she wore dark blue jeans and a plain black shirt. She got a big suitcase from under her bed and while she packed, Casey spoke up.

"Sorry for that in the lab.” He apologized. "I just tried ta get on yer brother's good side. Guess I blew it, huh?”

"Well,” she laughed. "It most certainly was no success.”

"So, he hates me.”

"Of course not, Casey.” She shook her head. "Believe it or not but my brother is not a snob. He knows a lot about science and something about art. But that does not mean that he disrespects people who don't. He does have a way with words but he knows that at the end of the day actions speak louder than words. And even though he is a genius, he values heart more than brains.”

"That can only be good for me, huh?” Casey smirked.

"No offense, but... yes, absolutely!” She laughed, closing the suitcase.

He followed her as she stepped into another bedroom and started to pack things for one of her brothers. Unsure what to say next, he bit his lip. Finally he decided to just be open and honest.

"Look, April,” the young man said. "I really like ya and I loved going out with ya. And now that the mutant thing is no longer a problem...”

"Casey.” She interrupted, looking a little sad as she avoided his eyes. "The 'mutant thing' might no longer be a problem, but there are still problems. My brother's aversion towards men dating me being not the biggest.”

"What problems?”

"Demon invasion?”

"Aside from that, Red!”

"Oh, only the major ones, then?” She chuckled before turning serious again: "Casey, your best friends are the same guys that for month were on a manhunt for my brothers.”

"If ya guys help us now, Leonardo will let ya go!”

"Will he?” She asked doubtfully. "And if he does, will he let us keep the things we stole, the money we made? Because we need those, Casey. Will he let us go AND leave us alone after?”

"I...”

"My loyalty is completely to my brothers”, she stated. "But I cannot be sure about yours.”

"Raph and Leo are my friends, yes.” Casey nodded. "But that don't mean, I will stand and watch if they treat ya and yer family unfairly. Fer the record: I was against, taking yer brother captive after he helped us. Well, in the end it turned out good that we all found ya together, but still...”

"Casey.” April said again, stopped packing and turned to him. Smiling she touched his face gently and said: "You are a great guy with your heart in the right spot. And of course I like you, too. I wouldn't have dated you for so long if not. But you cannot seriously deny the conflict of interest here.”

"Don't underestimate me, Red!” He joked. "I'm pretty good at denial.”

Genuine laughter was her answer.

"Well, like it or not,” she giggled. "It always brings us back to surviving the demon invasion first. Then we will see how things turn out, hmm?”

"I guess yer right.” He sighed.

"Oh and Casey?” She singsonged as she got back to packing.

"Hmm?”

"If we start over...”

"You mean 'WHEN we pick up were we left'.” He grinned.

"In both cases you better focus on impressing me, not my brother.” She warned. "Unless you'd rather date him.”

"Well, he is kinda cute, but I like ya better.”

"Good to hear.”

 

*

 

The lair was fascinating. The crystals – "Elynthian Crystals” Leatherhead had called them – especially stood out. But there was another thing Donatello had spotted. From the laboratory another passage led to a middle sized room the mutant alligator used as a storage room. As he had been in there, the turtle in purple had seen a small irregularity in the wall's pattern. All he needed know was an opportunity to investigate it in peace. That opportunity was yet to come. Donatello cursed that he had allowed Leonardo to provoke him. Instead of ignoring the ninja, Don had pretty much affirmed that he was looking for a way to escape. Of course now Leonardo did not let him out of his sight for even a moment. And while the genius not planned to leave the safety of the Hamato's lair in the current situation, he did not want Leonardo watching him when he took a closer look at the interesting spot.

Luck was on his side though. Everybody had assembled in the living room for tea and Kala made a remark about the rareness of Mikey's gift.

"Even mages with great active powers usually cannot see enchantments with the bare eye without casting a spell that temporarily gives them that skill.” She said.

Donatello pretended to stretch his legs so that he could walk behind the sofa. Of course Leonardo's gaze followed him, but the genius pretended not to see.

"Why don't you tell everybody how your gift works, Mikey? Use the magic katana as an example.” He suggested casually. "I am sure for Master Splinter this knowledge would be useful if he is supposed to help you control this better. Kala might gain valuable insight as well. And Leonardo can learn something about the weapon in specific. I mean, he is the one who is most likely going to wield it.”

As expected Leonardo's attention turned to Mikey, just as everybody's. Of course the turtle in blue wanted to know everything about the weapon, his father listened carefully as Mikey described how his magic sense worked and Raphael, well if Raphael really listened was anybody's guess, but he definitely had only eyes for Michelangelo.

While the turtle in orange basked in the spotlight, he had also understood Donatello's subtle signal to especially keep Leonardo occupied.

"What was really interesting,” he said. "Was that April did not see the glow until I had attacked the demon with it.”

"The same happened with her short sword.” Leonardo nodded. "I did not see the glow until your sister destroyed the first creature with it.”

"But it's only the blade. At least with the katana.” Mikey elaborated. "It ended at the hanaki!”

"Habaki.” The turtle in blue corrected.

"Oh, right! That's the handle, right?”

"No.” Leonardo sighed. "That would be the tsuka.”

"I don't know nearly enough about ninjutsu weapons.” The leaf-green turtle answered scratching the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.

Knowing that act, Donatello suppressed a grin. But Leonardo fell for it. Generously he assured Mikey that there was no shame in mixing the complicated terms up and patiently started to explain. Michelangelo's big blue eyes shone in admiration and faked interest.That was perfect. The older Hamato brother focused on Mikey which stoked the jealousy and therefore drew the attention of the younger. Splinter's proud gaze was locked on Leonardo while Kala and Yort were listening closely in case the subject would get back to magic sometime.

Not underestimating Leonardo's instincts Donatello was careful when he sneaked to the lab. Leatherhead looked up in surprise as Don entered without his blue-banded shadow.

"Just forgot my coffee.” The thief fibbed.

The mutant alligator nodded his understanding and turned back to his work. Keeping a careful eye on him, Donatello slowly took his cup. When he held it in his hand, Leatherhead was so engrossed in his work again that he did not notice that Don did not leave the lab for the corridor, but for the storage room.

 

*

 

Enjoying the opportunity to talk about one of his passion, Leonardo elaborated about ninjutsu weaponry. It was surprising that of all people Michelangelo was such a grateful and interested audience. The turtle in orange was attentive and asked a question now and then. Leo ignored his younger brother's jealous glare. Raphael could have the young thief back soon enough. After all Leonardo was determined to keep an eye on...

The turtle in blue spun around in the middle of his current explanation. Donatello was no longer behind the sofa. Of course not.

"Where is your brother, Michelangelo?” He asked, getting up from his seat.

"Call me 'Mikey', dude!” The orange-banded thief smiled sweetly.

"Alright, Mikey.” Leonardo spoke, invading the smaller turtle's space. "Where is your brother?”

"I don't know!” Mikey answered. "Probably needed some space.”

"Some space? That is not a vacation.” The leader grumbled.

With that he left. He was sure that Donatello would not try to escape. The turtle in purple was smart enough to know that the Hamatos and the O'Neils needed each other and too loyal to leave his little brother behind. However, Leonardo had made clear that he did not want the O'Neils to stroll through the lair alone. But in hindsight it was pretty obvious that Michelangelo had distracted the Hamatos to give Donatello the chance to do just that. Hopeful that the genius just went back to his current work, Leonardo headed for the laboratory.

Arriving at Leatherhead's sanctuary, he was greeted with a warm smile by the huge mutant.

"Can I help you with something, my friend?”

"Was Donatello here?”

"Indeed he was.” Leatherhead nodded. "But he only fetched his coffee. I thought he had returned to the rest of you afterward.”

"No, he did not.” The turtle in blue sighed.

Just as he wanted to leave and check on the O'Neils' room, he heard a faint noise from the lab's backroom. A low rumble accompanied by a slight scratching sound met his ear slit.

"Do you hear that, Leatherhead?” Leo asked and started to slowly move towards the source.

"I hear nothing.” His big friend answered laughing, leaving his chair to back the turtle up. "But the old computer's cooler makes so much noise, I barely hear you.”

The moment the two mutants arrived at the storage room, their eyes went wide. They came just in time to witness the stone wall sliding to the side, revealing a small space. In there, illuminated by what seemed Elynthian light, stood Donatello, studying some sort of panel.

When he looked up and saw the two other, he did not look shocked or even surprised. Neither was there a sign of guilt in his big brown eyes, only excitement shone in them. He rushed towards them.

"That! Is! Fascinating!” He exclaimed. "Did you see the light in there? It's like the crystals, right? But there are no crystals in there! Just the panel! It illuminates the whole elevator!”

"That is an elevator?” Leonardo was slowly recovering from his surprise.

"Yes”, Donatello nodded. "It only has two stages, here and an old abandoned garage in the city.”

"A garage?”

"That's what I said... Are you feeling alright?”

"How did you find that?”

"Are you kidding?” Donatello raised an eye ridge. "How did you not?”

There was no spite in his voice, just pure amazement. He was almost giddy. Leonardo's eyes widened once more in surprise as suddenly Donatello's hand grabbed his and the genius dragged him towards the elevator.

"You see here?” The purple-masked turtle pointed at the wall.

"Ehm, no.”

"Look closely.”

And as Leonardo did, he in fact noticed that a small square part of the wall looked slightly off. The pattern on that part of the stone only seemed random at first sight. This was artificial and subsequently added.

"Will the lair collapse if I press it?” He joked.

"It didn't when I pressed it so I think it is save.” Donatello answeredwith a smirk.

Leonardo carefully pressed against the spot and the plate sank into the wall. The elevator door slid close while the plate slowly moved back into its original position.

"I am impressed you found this so soon. I have been in this room quite often and did not see it.” Leatherhead spoke.

Donatello smiled genuinely at the compliment.

"I always had a good eye.”

"Well, I do not.” Leatherhead took his glasses in his hands and smiled as well. "You said something about crystals earlier?”

"Yes, there are none in there.” The turtle in purple gestured at the elevator and then inquired: "Leatherhead, I saw that you have two folders for the crystals. Category A and B. Why is that?”

"I recently discovered that the crystals are not all the same.” The alligator explained. "They seem alike at first sight, but there are some who have a different inner structure than others. Category A are the energy sources, but the purpose of category B is still unknown to me.”

"Hmm, I might have a theory.” Donatello pondered. "The crystals are in the lair's center only and even through at least three thick walls they appear to power an elevator and its security panel. So maybe...”

"...maybe category B crystals serve as amplifiers.” Leatherhead finished the thought and Leonardo could see that the alligator was getting excited.

"Exactly!” Donatello obviously was in scientist mode, too. "And if your Utrom friends can provide whatever they put in their headlights and we find a way to combine it with the amplifying crystals...”

"...we can build an effective weapon against the shadow creatures.”

"I still wonder why the Foot tower's floodlights could kill them, too.” Leonardo chimed in. "I wanted to ask Karai about them but she does not answer her phone.”

"Well, the floodlights aren't exactly easy to transport anyway.” The turtle in purple said. "The headlight technology and the amplifiers combined would work in a reasonable sized device.”

For the first time the two scientists appeared to bond as they rushed to Leatherhead's bookshelf and started to skim through it. The alligator appeared to have forgotten any grudge he might have held for the hacker invading the Utrom's computer system and Donatello... was doing the excited tail wiggling again.

Forcing himself to look at Donatello's carapace instead, Leonardo cleared his throat.

"Ehm, Donatello?” He asked. "That elevator...”

"Right!” The genius reluctantly turned away from the folders. "We should check the area around the garage. If it is save, Casey and April could bring the van there.”

"Good idea.” Leo nodded. "Having a direct entry point would be much safer.”

"I will look into the crystals, Donatello!” Leatherhead said. "You help Leonardo.”

"Let's get my father and my brother first.” The leader insisted. "They need to know about that, too.”

 

*

 

"Donnie sent me GPS coordinates.” April suddenly spoke looking at her phone.

A little 'ping' had Casey get out his phone as well.

"Leo says ta bring the stuff ta the coordinates Donatello sent, but only 'cause he says so and not 'cause Donatello sent them.” The young man said.

"So they agree to disagree while they are agreeing?”

"Yeah, pretty much.” Casey nodded, putting the last box in, and closed the van's back door. "Let's go!”

 

*

 

Needless to say, Splinter and Raphael had been speechless, when Donatello had opened the secret elevator and waved them in. Leonardo's younger brother had started fantasizing about his own fleet of cars and motorcycles as soon as he had seen the garage, but his father and Leonardo had taken the duty of telling him that they would need to discuss and think carefully what to do with the new found space.

It was not huge. Probably it had been a middle class car repair shop. A single garage gate, one door, a small passage that led to another room which might have served as an office and space for maybe 5 cars or vans. But there was nothing left of furniture or tools that could have spoken about the exact past of the place, let alone how it came to being built on an ancient civilization’s outpost. Dust on the stone floor and cobwebs in the corners of the dirty grey walls was all the space contained.

Now Leonardo's father and brother were back in the lair and Donatello was alone with the turtle in blue and installed a new lock, provided by Leatherhead, at the small side door. Since the metal garage gate only could be opened from the inside, this eased Leonardo's mind visibly.

"Thank you for your help.” The ninja suddenly said. "I know it was there all along, but now that I know about it, all I can think about that it is another entry point to our lair.”

"I understand.” Donatello answered and added with a soft reassuring smile: "But from the looks of this place I was the first person setting foot in here for years.”

He gestured at the foot prints he and the Hamatos had left in the thick layer of dust on the floor.

"I know.” Leonardo nodded with a grin. "But as you said, I am paranoid.”

Donatello halted and cleared his throat. Of course he remembered saying it, even though Leonardo had requested nothing unreasonable when asking them to turn away while their father had entered the security code to the lair.

"I... didn't really mean that.” Don admitted apologetically. "I respect how you do everything to keep your family safe. I just wanted... To be honest I don't know why I said that. I am sorry.”

"Probably for the same reason, I kept rubbing in that you and your family are our prisoners.” Leonardo surmised while he stepped closer to Donatello and leaned against the wall next to him. "Maybe you and I should stop provoking each other just for the heck of it.”

The sudden proximity of Leonardo made him gulp. The turtle in blue was taller and stronger than him, but that was not it. Don had known that since their first encounter. After joining Leonardo in the fight near the Foot Tower however, he had learned more about him in a few hours than the whole time before. His physical abilities and his personality combined gave the blue-banded turtle a pretty impressive presence. Self-control, confidence, intelligence, dexterity, strength of both character and body radiated from Leonardo like heat from a fire. It was intimidating and fascinating at the same time.

"Hey, I found this place because I wanted to show you that I can find a way to escape, not just 'for the heck of it'.” Donnie tried to joke his insecurity away.

"Okay, so from now on we only provoke each other for good reasons and not just for the heck of it?” Leonardo raised the ridges above his ice-blue eyes with a smile.

"Sounds good.” Donatello agreed as he finished tightening the last screw. "All done.”

"Thanks again.” The taller turtle smiled. "For now that's the best we can do.”

"Not necessarily.”

"What do you mean?”

The genius led Leonardo to the elevator.

"As you see,” Don explained. "There is a security panel, but it needs no code. I don't know how to program one yet. But it probably works like the one at the other entrance. At the moment, however all you need to do is pressing the two red buttons for going up or down.

"I know how to activate or change a code on these.” Leonardo said relieved. "I will do that at once. With the lock AND the Elynthian technology protecting the lair, I won't lose sleep over this. Thank you, Donatello.”

He put a warm hand on Don's shoulder.

"Y...you're welcome.” The genius stuttered surprised. "At the moment the lair protects my family, too.”

"So do I, as promised.” Leonardo added before turning his attention to the security panel.

And even though there was no rational reason to, Donatello immediately felt safer.

 

*

 

The next morning the O'Neils were in the bathroom, glad to have all their hygiene products at their disposal now. Mikey enjoyed shared bathroom time. They hadn't done that since they were kids.

"So, I am gone for two hours and you find a garage AND a weapon against the demons?” April laughed, stepping out of the shower. "You're outdoing yourself, Donnie.”

"Leatherhead and I have an IDEA for a weapon.” Don corrected after he rinsed his mouth, then grinned: "But yes, I found a secret elevator to a garage.”

"How come they never did?”

"Leatherhead has not the best eyesight.” Donatello shrugged. "And the others barely went in that room.”

"But my big brother spotted it immediately.” April said proudly.

"I distracted the others while Don looked for it.” Mikey hurried to say, mouthful of toothpaste foam.

"Good job.” His sister patted his head affectionately before asking Don: "But why? You showed them anyway. And now it is secured, just as the other exit.”

"Well, for one, when I returned Leonardo was already waiting for me, number two I just wanted to be able to examine the pressure plate in peace.” Don said and added sheepishly: "And maybe showing Sir Galahad that I could escape him. Which was pretty childish. And from now on I won't do things like that.”

"Oh? How come?”Michelangelo asked before starting to gargle loudly.

"Leonardo and I talked and agreed to both be a little less... hostile.”

"And what about this weapon?” April asked.

Now it did not take long for Mikey's brain to fade his siblings out. He heard "wavelength”, "amplifiers”, "frequency”, but mostly white noise.

Breakfast was nice, but also boring. Yort and Kala had returned to that Nexus they had come from to tell their boss about the development on Earth. Leonardo and Donatello really were amicable with each other and therefor far less fun. They were talking with April and Leatherhead about the crystals. Raphael was engaged in a discussion about sports with Casey Jones and Mikey did not know enough about that to take part.

"Michelangelo,” Splinter's friendly voice drew his attention. "Would you like to start your meditation lessons after breakfast? As I understand Hna'ler, an engineer of the Utroms, will visit to talk about your brother's idea. But I won't be of much help in that matter.”

"Neither will I, Mr. Hamato.” The orange-banded turtle laughed. "So yeah, count me in.”

"I am glad to hear this.” The old rat smiled. "But call me 'Splinter', please.”

"Maybe I should join ya.” Raphael suddenly chimed in, winking at Mikey. "My meditation techniques could use some improvement, too.”

"They sure could, little brother.” Leonardo grinned. "But usually you don't care.”

"Well, Fearless.” The hothead bit back. "Usually there are no demons outside.”

"It would not be bad if we all learned to defend ourselves against demonic mind control.” Donatello spoke up. "Kala could not tell us what kind of demons escaped, but from what I read, a lot of the higher demons are more likely to manipulate than to attack physically.”

"You are right. It would be helpful for you to learn how to shield yourself against such attacks.” The blue-masked turtle nodded. "But these are different techniques than those Mikey needs to control his intuition for magic.”

"That is correct.” Splinter confirmed. "But I am sure that you, Leonardo, have no objections to have us all join your evening meditations tonight.”

"Of course not, father.” The turtle in blue nodded. "It won't hurt me to redo this lessons, too.”

"I was hoping, you'd assist me in teaching, my son.” The rat smiled. "You have mastered the techniques against mind control years ago.”

"If that is your wish, father. Of course!”

Michelangelo could see how proud Splinter was of Leonardo's skills and how his eldest basked in his father's praise. He also noticed Raphael stiffen and fall silent at the display. And he felt his own loss of his parents. Meeting Donnie's gaze, he saw a reflection of his own pain for a second. But then his older brother gave him a reassuring smile and turned his attention back to his breakfast. Mikey shook the feeling off and put on a cheerful face.

After breakfast he followed the old rat into his room. Like in the dojo the furnishing was of Japanese style. On the beautiful carpet in the center stood asimple but elegant low table with a tea set and a bookshelf offered some reading material next to the neatly made bed. It was a beautiful space. Humble and yet rich because of all the little personal decorations.

"Your room is nice, Mister...ehm Splinter.”

"Thank you, Michelangelo.” The rat smiled. "My family and friends have always been very thoughtful when they gifted me with things for my home. Please...”

He gestured the young turtle to step in. From an old chest he took two wool mats and some candles. After placing the mats on the floor, he signaled Mikey to sit down, and then started to place the candles in a circle around the soft pieces of cloth.

When Splinter sat down cross-legged in front of Michelangelo, the turtle in orange mimicked his posture. With an encouraging smile the old master took his hands and looked straight into his eyes.

"Alright, Michelangelo.” The rat began. "I want you to close your eyes and empty your mind.”

Thinking of nothing was almost impossible. There was always something rushing through his brain.

"Emptying your mind is not the same as thinking of nothing, young friend.” Splinter said softly.

Whoa, was the rat mind-reading again? Could he actually do that? Could anyone do that?

"I did establish a mental connection to you, yes.” Splinter explained. "However, it would be easier to keep it stable if you tried to focus.”

Right. Focus.

"As I said, it is not necessary to think of nothing, just focus on simple things. Like the water rushing in the pipes or your own breathing. The latter you should try to even out by the way.”

Okay. Even out breathing and focus on breathing. He could do that.

And he actually could. Maybe it was Splinter's calming presence or the soft smell of the candles or the peaceful atmosphere of the room. But after a while all thoughts that went beyond breathing left his usually ever flitting mind.

Michelangelo barely noticed that Splinter let go of his hands. Only when he heard the old rat's voice from another direction as before, he became aware of this change.

"Michelangelo, your brother was so friendly to lend me some of the magic objects your family collected. Right now I have them all in a special container that should hide them even from your gift. Please let your eyes remain closed and try to focus on the one I will take in my hands now.”

Mikey did as he was told and soon he felt the familiar tickle on his body. That usually always happened. The feeling that came next depended on the nature of the item's magic.

"What do you feel?”

"It feels... blue and warm. That's the katana, right?”

"Correct.” Now Michelangelo heard some rustling before the rat spoke again. "This one?”

"It feels... I barely feel it. It’s just... there?”

"Interesting...”

"What is it?”

"Open your eyes.”

As Mikey did, he saw the golden egg April had found in Warren's house.

"That is the tracker, right?” He asked. "But we found it broken after returning to the mansion.”

"Kala repaired it before she left.” Splinter explained and chuckled: "And the way she looked at it, I am sure she will want to borrow it.”

"I never felt what I feel focusing on that. It feels so... unspectacular.”

"I expected something like this.” The rat said. "The tracker's magic works similar to your gift. But it is neutral. Neither is it good or evil nor does it judge the magic, it only finds it.”

"Okay, soo...”

"I hope that we can use the feeling you have when focusing on the tracker to calibrate your gift, so to speak.” Splinter explained. "If we succeed, we might not be able to influence the intensity of the feeling when you are confronted with powerful magic, but the nature of the feeling.”

"Makes sense,” Mikey nodded. "I think. Because an intense neutral feeling is still neutral, right? So I won't get too giddy if it is a nice feeling and don't freeze if it is evil.”

"Yes, pretty much.” Splinter smiled.

"Sounds good!” Mikey grinned. "Let's do this.”

Michelangelo felt confident. Splinter could help him and he wanted to. The old rat was definitely one of the good guys. His own Yoda. Who would make sure that Mikey never would be helpless again in the face of dark monsters who threatened his family. He would not be useless.

 

*

 

He hated feeling useless. But he was no scientist so Leonardo could not really help Leatherhead, Donatello and April. Unlike Raph and Casey however he felt guilty sitting around idly, watching TV or reading while his father helped Mikey and the scientists build a weapon against the demon army outside. So far the Utroms and Bishop could at least keep civilians save, but who knew for how long? At the moment the strange activities were limited to New York, but again: for how long? Almost the whole day had passed without the fearless heir of the Hamato clan doing anything to help in stopping that plague. He hated that.

Around dinner time Leonardo made some sandwiches, put them on a plate and carried them to the laboratory. If his father‘s meditation plan still stood, the scientists would need to take a break soon anyway.

"Hello." He said, carefully stepping in. "I don’t want to interrupt. But it’s almost seven and I thought you should eat."

Leatherhead and April smiled gratefully. Only Donatello ignored him, staring at his notes.

"Thank you!" The redheaded woman eagerly took a sandwich.

Leatherhead grabbed one as well.

"Donatello?" Leo asked, but was ignored, so he repeated louder: "Donatello?"

"It may look like I am staring on a piece of paper to the untrained eye", the purple-banded turtle finally answered snappy. "But I actually think and therefor do science!"

Leonardo narrowed his eyes. So much for less provoking, but two could play that game. He opened his mouth and was about to retort when April‘s soft hand grabbed his and pulled him aside.

"Please, don’t take that personal." She said. "He gets like that when he is working."

"So, it does not work out, as you hoped."

"Oh, we will be able to build the device." April reassured. "A short range gun that works only against the creatures. It should kill the smaller ones and at least chase away those like the one we encountered near the sewer entrance."

"That does sound good." Leonardo scratched his head.

"Well, it is." April answered and spoke loud in Don‘s direction: "We did good work and SOMEONE should appreciate that, instead of getting all grumpy because he wants it bigger and better!"

"For one, bigger would not better in that case as SOMEONE knows. SOMEONE would like it to be more powerful." Donnie growled over his shoulder, speaking louder with every word. "Please understand that SOMEONE will not rest on his laurels when there is a chance to make this weapons more effective against the things that want to kill his family."

The last sentence he almost yelled, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. Immediately his sister stood behind him, soothing hands on his shoulders.

"I am not talking about resting on our laurels, Don." She said softly. "I am talking about taking a break and having a sandwich without biting people’s head off."

After spinning his chair around, she took her brother’s free hand and gently tugged. Sighing Donatello put the paper down, rubbed his eyes and left his seat. He approached Leonardo and took a sandwich.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"Aaand?" April looked at him expectantly.

Donatello sighed, but finally fixed his chocolate eyes on Leonardo.

"And I apologize for snapping at you." He spoke softly.

"It‘s alright." The turtle in blue answered, forcing himself to look away and gestured to the notes. "I‘m not in the best mood when I am disturbed during training or meditation, too."

 

*

 

April rolled her eyes. Her brother really was the sweetest person on earth. But woe him who interrupted his work. At least Leonardo did not seem to be mad. But now he was staring at Donatello’s papers while the purple-banded turtle pretended to eat his sandwich,

The awkward silence was broken by Leonardo‘s phone.

"Hello? Karai? Where have you been? I tried..." The turtle in blue spoke.

Karai. April knew that name. She was some high ranking member of the Foot clan. And the rumors about her and Leonardo had been... interesting.

"Of course I know the old warehouse, but... Karai the sun has set already and at the moment it’s not wise to... Not taking unnecessary risks does not mean I am afr... What kind of inf... Karai?" The older Hamato brother stared at his phone. Then he closed his eyes and did what to April appeared to be some sort of anger control technique.

"What happened?" Leatherhead asked.

"She wants to meet me in the abandoned warehouse." Leonardo answered.

"The one where we originally were to drive the van to?" April assumed.

Leonardo only nodded, looking at his phone again.

"This woman will be the death of me." He finally growled. "But if there is a chance that she has information, I need to meet her."

"But not alone!" Leatherhead spoke immediately with unusual vigor.

"I cannot risk anybody else’s safety." The leader retorted.

"Will I have to apologize again when I say that this is an extraordinary stupid idea?" Don asked, raising an eye ridge at April.

"No." She stated simply.

"Look..."

"No, you look!" April said. "You said it yourself. We need each other. So you don’t go alone."

"After all you’ll be a horrible meditation teacher when you are dead." Don said almost straight-faced. Only April noticed the small tug at his lips.

"I am touched." Leonardo answered sarcastically.

"Oh, and don’t get the wrong idea, Donnie!" The young woman turned to her brother. "I am going, too."

"But..."

"I have one of the two weapons that currently work against those creatures. I need to be there in case they show up." She argued.

"I agree with Miss O’Neil." Splinter stood in the laboratory door. "None of you should go out there alone. I suggest my sons, Casey Jones, Miss O’Neil and Donatello meet with Miss Oroku."

"What about me, Master Splinter?" Leatherhead asked. "I would like to help,too."

"You are, my friend. Keep working on the weapon. That way you are also here to secure the lair with me." The rat said. "Just in case this is a ruse to attack our home."

"And me?" Mikey appeared in the door behind Splinter.

"You made great progress! You are a fast learner." The old master praised, making April’s little brother beam. "But please be patient. You are not ready yet to face these foes again."

April saw Mikey’s face fall.

"But when..."

"You have a rare talent and I am sure you will master it before our families will have to face the high demon that escaped his prison." Splinter told him. "But for now, stay with me. Maybe Leatherhead can take a short break and install the 'most awesomest‘ gaming console for you."

That promise did it. Donatello and April had been busy in the lab all day and while Mikey loved to play, he never was the one to put the console up. So now he grinned broadly and started telling Splinter about his games. The two older O‘Neil siblings shared a relieved look.

April noticed with satisfaction that Don no longer argued with her. Obviously he had accepted that she would accompany them. The redheaded woman was very eager to meet the kunoichi of the Foot Clan and to learn what she had to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raphael-fans, don’t worry. He did not get much spotlight in this chapter, but in the next one there will be much Raphie.
> 
> As always I would enjoy reading your comments. :)


	10. After hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the new tags. In this chapter some dark themes are dealt with. Personally I don’t think it is too bad, but I want you to be warned. There will be implied rape and implied murder. Nothing graphic, but it’s there.  
> Oh, and there is smut.

Voicing his doubts had unsurprisingly not changed his big brother's mind. Of course a decision Leonardo had made would not be revoked because of Raphael's opinion on it. Sighing the turtle in red stepped out of the new found elevator. That garage was very nice. He should let Donatello stroll through his room for a while, maybe the smart little thief would find a secret storage room. Raphael would turn it into his own fitness place never being disturbed again during a workout. A guy could dream.

He started to examine the O'Neils' van. It was colored in a dark grey and did not look extraordinary at first sight. But taking a closer look Raphael noticed that the vehicle's outside had been enforced subsequently and the wheel's grip had been improved. Engrossed in the van he must have missed the elevator leaving and returning because as he tapped against the windows, a soft voice spoke.

“Bulletproof. Better safe than sorry.”

“Hey, Doe...” Raphael started to greet, but stopped himself at Donatello's raised eye ridge.

Right. Call him “Doe eyes” again, sleep with one eye open for the rest of your life.

“Hey, Donnie!” He corrected himself. “'Donnie''s alright, ain't it?”

“It's an improvement.” The purple-masked turtle sighed, slowly uncrossing his arms. “So I'll take it.”

“Nice job with the van!” Raphael commended. “Ya made some changes inside, too, I see.”

“Yes, that was tricky. I installed some tech that made it easier to communicate with each other and keep an eye on our surroundings without sticking our heads out.” Donnie explained. “But I wanted the panels to be easy to use for our hands.”

“Ya built Mikey a gaming controller like that, right?”

“Yes, I do that with a lot of things. I try making them comfortable for us without making it harder for April to use them.”

“Could you... Nah, not the time.” Raph spoke.

“What?”

“I found a motorcycle on a dumpster. Persuaded Leo ta take it home fer repair. And I got the motor running!” The brawler explained proudly. “But she still makes some weird noises and some adjustments for non-human users are in order I think.”

“You want me to help you?” Donatello raised his ridges in surprise.

“Fawget it. 'twas just a thought. But we got bigger problems and yer probably not ta eager ta help me.”

“Actually, it sounds interesting.” The genius said. “When there is time, I can have a look at it.”

“Really?” Realizing that he sounded like a kid that was promised a lollipop, Raphael cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah, that would be cool. I hid it in the tunnels but I plan on bringing it here soon. Thanks fer finding this place, by the way.”

“You're welcome.” A small smile tug at Donatello's lip. “Do you want to help me install the Utrom headlights before the others arrive?”

“Heck yes!”

 

*

 

Pouting and begging had not helped. Michelangelo had to stay in the lair, but at least was allowed tohave a look at the garage Donnie had found. Looking on the bright side, the unexpected trip canceled the planned meditation session for everyone which meant Splinter would have time to practice more with Mikey alone. That way he would be able to control his gift sooner and accompany the rest of the merry band next time. At least he hoped so.

The Elynthian elevator was pretty crowded right now: April, Casey, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Splinter. The old rat had to come along because obviously Mikey could not be trusted to close a garage gate behind a van.

But still it was pretty cool to use the elevator and watch the secret doors slide open and shut. As a thief he had seen things like that before, but never powered by such ancient technology. It was pretty fascinating. The same could not be said about the garage. It was an empty dusty boring space, right now parking spot for a van he already knew.

Leonardo went to show Master Splinter how to operate the gate while April stayed back, fascinated by the panel, Casey not leaving her site. Mikey looked around. He saw Donnie's head stick out of the driver's window of their family van.

“Maybe it's just not compatible.” He heard his older brother say.

“Trust me, brainiac, I adjusted the cables.” Raphael's gruff voice sounded from behind the bonnet. “It should work now.”

“Should?”

“It will!”

“If my van explodes, my ghost will haunt you forever.”

“Looking forward ta it.” Raphael laughed. “Now stop being a chicken and start the motor.”

Grumbling something Donatello disappeared completely in the van and shortly after the motor started and the headlights went on.

“See, Doe...Donnie?” The turtle in red came to the window and grinned. “No explosions.”

“Not bad.” After turning off the motor the genius left the van and nodded at Raph in a commending way.

The grin the turtle in red gave in return, caused a slight pinching in Mikey's stomach. Putting on a cheerful grin, he jumped towards Raphael and Donatello and instinctively positioned himself between them.

“So, fellows?” He smiled. “What's new?”

“Raphael helped me installing the new headlights.” Don explained. “I was starting to fear they might not work in our van. But Raphael did it. Not bad at all.”

Raphael bathed a little to much in Donatello's praise for Mikey's liking. The brawler still wore that goofy grin and... was he blushing?

“Do we hafta be concerned 'bout the battery?” Raph asked after clearing his throat.

“I don't think so.” Don shook his head. “Leatherhead and I made some tests. The energy consumption of these lights is surprisingly low so we should have no problems on that front.”

“Good, it would suck ta strand out there.” The brawler laughed humorless.

“That it would.” The purple-masked turtle confirmed and went to close the bonnet, checking on the rest of the van afterward.

“You know what really sucks?” Mikey drew Raphael's attention to himself with a little whining. “That I can't come with you.”

“Aww, don't be sad, honeyball.” The turtle in red turned to him and playfully tuck the orange mask. “I'll tell ya everything when we get back.”

Michelangelo's heart leaped at the closeness and the intimate gesture and he felt his cheeks heat up. He smiled broadly and boldly poked his finger in the taller turtle's plastron.

“Hmm, you better. I'll be waiting.” He said.

“Ya do that.” Raphael laughed before turning back to the van. “Ya think yer brother's gonna lemme drive?”

“April or Casey are going to drive.” Leonardo walked over to the pair, speaking in an authoritative tone.

Michelangelo saw Raphael tense. The hothead's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth when suddenly Donnie jumped out of the van and said:

“Actually, Leonardo, I think Raphael should drive.”

“Oh?” The leader rose an eye ridge and turned his attention to Donatello. “Why take that risk?”

“There barely is one.” The genius answered. “The Utroms informed Leatherhead that there is a curfew. After dark people are to stay home and it is expected that most will follow that. The police currently do not have the man power to patrol everywhere. They are guarding the main roads to keep a lifeline so to speak for emergency services, but it should be no problem to find an unguarded route from here to the warehouse. Plus, I darkened the windows. So even if there are people, they won't see Raphael behind the wheels. And you and me can sit in the other front seats. I can keep a look at my instruments and you can keep an eye on the streets.”

“I see.” Leonardo seemed to consider Donatello's words.

“And so far our van is the only working vehicle at our disposal. It would be good if you two”, Don pointed between Raphael and Leonardo. “Got some practice in driving it.”

“You may be right.” The turtle in blue agreed and then turned to Raphael: “Alright, you're driving. I'll try my luck on the way home.”

As Leonardo went to fetch April and Casey, Raphael stared at Don wide-eyed.

“How'd ya do that?” He asked.

“What exactly do you mean?” The genius asked confused.

“Get Fearless ta revoke a decision he already made, of course.”

“I respectfully disagreed with him, stated my opinion and substantiated my position with arguments.” Donatello explained with a shrug. With that he climbed in the middle front seat.

“Oh, that can't be all!” Raph called after him. “C'mon, share yer secrets.”

He then winked at Mikey, before proudly taking the driver's seat, waving as he steered the van out of the building. Michelangelo waved back, but crossed his arms pouting as soon as the van was out of sight. Rumbling the garage gate closed and he was left alone with Splinter and the bitter feeling of being left out.

 

*

 

Self-satisfied Raphael noticed that he had no notable problem navigating and controlling the van. In rare agreement Leonardo and Donatello reminded him to be careful and not to go too fast now and then.

But at least the turtle in purple commended his driving abilities, especially after being told that the only experience Raphael had were his and Casey's shenanigans with a pizza delivery truck Casey had used to drive to earn some money a couple of years ago.

The streets were abandoned, but the houses along their way were illuminated. That the creatures did not like light had reached everyone. But of course Raphael knew that so far only sunlight, Utrom technology and the Foot tower's floodlight had proven to be fatal for the shadowy demons. Other light sources seemed to make them uncomfortable but would not keep them away when they had a goal. Whatever that might be.

Only a few minutes away from their destination, the van just had passed a crossroad, Raphael stopped as he spotted a group of people, getting out of an old shabby car in front of a jeweler. They were carrying sport bags and crowbars.

“Purple dragons!” Obviously Leonardo had seen them, too. “We should have known they would try to take advantage of this.”

“But they must've heard that some slimy shadow zombie things are roaming the streets.” Casey's head appeared between Don and Leo from behind, followed by April.

“Yeah, they can't be that stupid.” She said.

“Never underestimate people's stupidity, sister dear.” Donatello deadpanned.

“Yes, especially not when it comes to the purple dragons.” Leonardo said. “But these four are just some foolish kids. We cannot let them get killed.”

Shattering glass drew their attention. One of the gang members had smashed his crowbar into the jeweler’s window, triggering the alarm, causing April and Donatello to scoff.

“How graceless.” The turtle in purple said and upon Leonardo's admonishing look, he asked: “What? How hard can it be to disable the alarm and pick the lock if one does some research in advance?”

“No style.” April agreed. “No wonder they need a demon invasion to cover a heist.”

“Assuming that Lord and Lady Lockpick are done with criticizing their colleagues”, Leonardo interrupted annoyed. “Can we save those idiots now?”

“Fine!” Everybody answered and carefully they left the van.

“Lord and Lady Lockpick?” Raphael smirking whispered to Leonardo. “T'was funny – for yer standards.”

“Fortunately I do not depend on your approval of my attempts at humor.” Leo gave back.

Shaking his head Raphael with a grin gestured his comrades to follow his older brother, himself bringing up the rear guard. Carefully sneaking closer they stayed together to not make themselves vulnerable. April quietly picked the front door's lock, so they could silently enter the store. The criminals were busy looting the window display and did not notice them. Now closer, Raphael could finally hear the gang members talking over the alarm.

“Hurry up!”

“Why? Cops won't come.”

“Yes, but the reason they won't come, may come!” Leonardo's voice echoed through the room when he confidently positioned himself in front of the burglars . “Get in your car and leave before the creatures that currently plague the cities get you.”

“Oh my god! Hun wasn't telling shit!” One of the burglars shrieked. “There are giant talking turtles in the city!”

Suddenly the alarm stopped. April stood up behind the counter, all eyes turning to her.

“Sorry.” She said. “That was getting annyoing.”

“You have been faster.” Donatello admonished teasingly.

“Sneaking through a room full of broken glass takes time.” The redhead pouted.

“Whaddya freaks want?” The only female gang member, a teenage brunette, spoke.

“For you to get in your car and leave.” Leonardo repeated. “As I said.”

“No way we letting this chance go by.” Another Purple Dragon, a skinny sly looking man, gave back.

“Listen up, ya idiots.” Raph chimed in. “There's four of yer sorry kind and five of us. We've beaten up the likes of ya with two of us against a dozen.”

The Purple Dragons switched between looking at each other and their opponents. Leonardo seemed calm, but Raphael knew his brother well. He saw the determination in his eyes, saw the tenseness in his body. Leo was ready to act if one of the Dragons made a move against him or his allies.

All of a sudden a loud howling resounded in the nightly air. It seemed distant at first but drew closer fast and then, accompanied by a gust of foul wind, hit the jeweler. To Raphael is was like it not only rushed by him but through him. Feeling nauseous, he had to lean against the door frame and close his eyes for a second. As he opened them again, he saw four figures run across the street. But instead of getting in their car those idiots rushed into an office building on the other side.

“What are the pea brains doin'?” He growled. “Let's get them. Look's like we havta punch them inta their car.”

Raphael rushed across the streets, four pairs of footsteps behind him. The office building was new and usually occupied but obviously it had taken some damages including a ripped out front door. Without hesitation Raphael entered, to find the entrance hall to be empty. The elevator's lights were out and the emergency lights were not working. The only illumination was provided by the street lamps outside, painting the hall and the nearby corridor in an eerie grey.

“Where'd they go?” Raphael asked. “Why did they not just bolt? Ya wanna split up, Fearless? Fearless?”

The turtle in red turned to his older brother – only to find that he was alone. Neither Leonardo nor anybody else was around. Impossible! He had heard their footsteps behind him, crossing the street, had felt their presence. How could they not be here?

Suddenly a movement in the corridor caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes and carefully stepped into the dark hallway. It was not like Leonardo or Casey to play a prank in a situation like that and even though he did not know them well, he thought the same about Donatello and April. Wherever they had disappeared to, they most likely were separated from him against their will. If it were them there in the corridor, they would communicate.

Along the wall Raph crept towards a wooden door. In regular distances small windows at the west wall provided some street light so that soon he could make out a door at the east side that stood slightly ajar. Behind was an office, weirdly enough illuminated by a small desk lamp. And in the corner with her back turned to him stood a woman with long blond hair, wearing a white blouse and a black skirt. She was leaning over a drawer of a file cabinet, her finger moving over it as if she was looking for something specific. The only woman in the burglar gang had been a brunette so this had to be someone else. How many stupid humans ignored the curfew?

Staying in the shadows, Raphael knocked carefully at the door, slowly pushing it open. At the sound the woman lifted her head, but did not turn around.

“Ehm, M'am?” He said carefully. “Ya shouldn't be here. 'T's dangerous afta dark at the moment.”

“Dangerous?” She repeated in a strange voice, it was cold and without any emotion as if she did not really care.

“Yes, M'am.” Raphael now stepped into the room, approaching her and tried to prepare her: “Listen, I can bring ya ta safety but ya should know that I look... different. I need ya ta stay calm. I'm one of the good guys, okay?”

He now stood behind the blonde but she showed not the slightest indication to follow his directions. Hesitantly and careful not to scare her, Raphael put his hand on her shoulder.

“Listen, lady, we gotta go.”

“Go?” Again she repeated his words, but now she slowly turned around.

“Yeah, okay don't panic, as I s...WHAT THE HELL?”

In shock Raphael stumbled back. The woman's face was ashen, her lips almost white. Dark rings circled around her eyes. A matting veil lay over the blue irises, making them dull and lifeless. Her neck was crooked, causing her head to tilt sidewards in an unnatural angle and a small rivulet of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Her blouse was ripped, revealing dark red scratches along her chest.

Raphael's carapace collided with a bookshelf as he tried to get away from her. Before he could jump to the right to reach the door, she was in front of him. Her skinny fingers reached for his face and frozen in horror he watched while her cracked nails raked across his cheeks and her eyes roamed across his face.

“You're too late.” She croaked. “Why weren't you here sooner?”

Blinking he took in her words. That made no sense. Too late for what? Suddenly her hands stop moving and her eyes stopped flicking. Instead she removed her fingers from his face and fixed her gaze on his eyes.

“Why?” She whispered.

But this time as he remained silent, the dull blue eyes suddenly lit up red. Her face contorted in rage as she screamed: “Why!?”

Wailing she grabbed Raphael's shoulders, her long nails dug deep into his skin and with inhuman strength she threw him across the office, face first against the file cabinet. The metal container swayed dangerously and in the last second Raphael managed to regain his senses and roll backwards, before the heavy piece fell and landed on the ground, the clattering sound echoing through the halls.

He tasted his own blood and felt slightly dizzy but Raphael knew he had to get out of here. Now! With as much strength as he could muster he tackled the woman, or whatever it was, aside and rushed out of the office. Not thinking he ran down the way he had come to reach the exit. As he had almost reached the entrance hall the silhouette of a lithe woman appeared in front of him.

It could not be! She was behind him. Had to be. The woman took a step forward so that a street lamp‘s light from outside illuminated her through one of the corridor's windows.

It was not the same woman. Her hair was also blonde but slightly shorter, she seemed younger, more a girl than a woman, and wore nothing but a long shirt. Blood trickled between her legs and while her neck was not crooked, she had dark bruises around her throat.

“Where have you been?” She pressed out rasping.

“Why did you not come sooner?” Sounded from behind him.

“Why, Raphael?”

Raphael now drew his weapons. Breathing heavily, he twirled his sai.

“Okay, ladies”, he tried to sound confident. “Who are ya and how ya know my name?”

“Have you forgotten about us?” The girl asked.

“How could you?” The woman hissed.

Slowly but steadily they closed in on him, backing him against one of the windows. His carapace collided with a decorative vase placed in the middle of the sill. Without thinking he spun around, grabbed the planter and swung it against the second girl's head. It did not seem to bother her much, but made her stumble back, leaving room for Raphael to escape.

His hurried steps sounded through the corridor until he finally reached the entrance hall. The exit was close and he believed himself safe as he was suddenly grabbed from behind. He was pulled back and thrown through the entrance hall, coming to a halt at the base of the stairs leading up, landing hard on his butt.

“How are they so fast?” The thought crossed his mind while he jumped back to his feet. But then he saw that it was yet another woman attacking him.

“It's ya...” He breathed, taking in the hourglass figure, the curly blonde hair, the dark red line of crusted blood along her throat and the long white blood stained nightgown.

 

_One, two, three times Raphael let his body slam against the sturdy wooden door. The muffled cries and sounds of pain behind it skyrocketed his adrenaline level. The sounds were faint and yet seemed to drown out the roaring thunderstorm outside. When the door finally gave in, the ninja stumbled in a girly decorated bedroom. The cream colored curtain swung with the wind and he could only just see the movement of someone or something rushing out of the open window. And as lighting illuminated the room for the fracture of the second, he saw her: A beautiful young woman, lying on her bed, coughing faintly and helplessly.Raphael rushed to her. Curly blond hair, crusted with blood, framed a pale face with panicked features. There was blood everywhere. Between her legs, on the ripped nightgown and rushing from her cut open throat. Frantically the turtle in red ripped her bedlinen to press it on the seeping wound along her collar. But it was too late. Her blood soaked the cloth and ran over his hands. It was like feeling the life run out of her. Her blue eyes, widened in panic, met his gaze and with her last strength she mustered to speak one last word. Just a whisper, barely to hear and yet meant to blare forever in his ear: “Monster.”_

 

“Impossible...” He breathed.

“I was the first, right, Raphael?” She whispered.

While she stepped closer, the crust covering the wound on her throat cracked open. With every shuffled step she took more blood seeped out staining her white flesh and the silky gown.

“I was the first.” She repeated. “The first you let down. The first you let die.”

“No!” Raphael yelled. “I did what I could. Leo and I...”

He broke of mid-sentence when within the blink of an eye the two other women appeared behind her. He recognized them now. As if they were one, they stalked him. Coming closer and each speaking with a raspy, croaking voice.

“You were too late.”

“He came for us.”

“Now it is too late for you!”

“He will come for you!”

 

And then just like that, they were gone. Catching his breath Raphael leaned against the stair's bannister. He needed to leave now. This place was either driving him nuts or the ghost's of his failures past could come back any second.

It was then that he heard the cackling from above. A dark and cold laughter accompanied by heavy foot steps on the stairs. The sound froze his limbs. Unable to run or even scream Raphael turned his face to the staircase and slowly backed away.

Laughter and footsteps became louder and soon a large dark shadow was cast along the stairs.

“Raphael!” The deep voice singsonged.

Then he saw him. A huge mutant jackal, broad shouldered and muscular. Scars and burn marks littered the body. The uncombed fur covering it was tainted with dried blood and dirt. Naked, except for a leather belt holding two long knifes, he strutted down the stairs like a king. One of his large hands with the long sharp claws was outstretched to Raphael, the other he lay mockingly against his heart while he smiled a false smile, presenting his long picked teeth.

“How good to see you, old friend.” He jeered with a dangerous glint in his yellow eyes. “It's been a while.”

“Faustus!” Raphael hissed. “That's not... Ya can't be here.”

The Jackal chuckled darkly.

“Oh, Raphael.” He said with fake sympathy. “Did you think you could get rid of me so easily?”

“Kinda hoped so, yeah.” The brawler answered, trying to sound calm.

“How could you? I will always be inside your head.” Faustus pondered. “Maybe if we remove it...”

Lightning fast the murderer pushed himself into the air with his sturdy legs. Whether it was skill or luck, Raphael would never know, but at the last second he managed to jump aside, landing on his feet a couple of steps away from Faustus.

“You're fast, I give you that.” The jackal snarled. “But not fast enough to save them, huh?”

Displaying false sadness he pointed behind himself with his thumb. In front of the elevators stood the three young women Raphael could not save. Next to them several others, faceless, unknown to him. But the three... Raphael had found them, minutes after Faustus had. Their bodies still had been warm....And the first, Mena, had died in his arms.

The women and girls made no move this time. Their dull blue eyes just stared into the distance. Still their appearance, their wounds and their number made Raphael's spirit sink further and for a heartbeat he let his guard down. Enough for Faustus to jump him again. In the blink of an eye he was in front of the turtle and grabbed his throat. Seemingly effortless he lifted him up, grinning at the coughs and futile attempts to breathe.

“You didn't even have the guts to kill me.” The evil mutant cackled.

Gathering all his strength, Raphael lifted his knee. He let his lower leg snap forward and his foot collided with Faustus‘ long snout.

With a cry of rage and pain, the enemy let go. But the hothead landed on trembling legs, grabbed his pained collar. His vision was tunneled and he needed a moment to suck in some air. A moment too long. Faustus swung his huge arms against the turtle's body, sending him flying to the elevators. When Raphael landed at the feet of the women and girls, they left their lethargic state. Their faces warped unnaturally, leaving them as horrifying masks of anger as they grabbed him and held him. A scream of fear and pain escaped him when their nails cracked open his skin and their grip twisted his limbs.

Meanwhile Faustus drew a long knife from his belt and slowly his evil grin blossomed again. He all but swaggered towards Raphael who squirmed in the females' hold, trying desperately to flee.

“You know, that really hurt.” The jackal admonished with a faked pout.

Standing right in front of Raphael now, he swung the knife sidewards. The turtle in red closed his eyes. For a moment he thought he heard a familiar voice call his name, but then he felt the rush of Faustus' arm swinging.

 

*

 

The howl resounded painful in Leonardo's ear and the foul odor the wind carried made him dizzy so he had to stumble towards the counter to support himself. Luckily the Purple Dragons did not fare any better. Two of them even fell to their knees.

“What was that?” The brunette asked, gagging and wavering.

One of her comrades caught her, having trouble standing straight himself.

“Maybe they're right.”

“Yes, we are.” Leonardo spoke, breathing heavily.

“Let's move!”

None of the gang members bothered to pick up their loot bags that they had dropped when the foul wind had passed them. Leonardo understood. Whatever that gust carried sounded terrifying, smelled horrible and felt outright evil.

The leader looked around. Donatello leaned against a wall, eyes closed, but obviously recovering. Casey and April supported each other and seemed to regain composure as well. His eyes fell to the spot where he remembered Raphael standing. But his brother was not there.

“Where is Raphael?” He asked, feeling his heart beat speed up.

Donatello, being the one closest to the door, stepped to the street and looked around.

“I don't see him.”

“He was here a second ago.” Casey said.

“I know that.” Leonardo snapped at the human. “I want to know where he is now.”

A warm hand was put on his shoulder and spinning around, he looked in Donatello's warm eyes.

“We will find him.” He assured in a tone that left no option but believing him. “He cannot have gotten far.”

“Right.” Leonardo evened his breath and turned to the humans: “Is there a back exit?”

April disappeared in the room behind the counter and returned only moments later.

“Only an office and the vault, both locked securely. He cannot be there.”

They went outside to look for Raphael. With every passing minute Leonardo's method became less strategical and calculated and more desperate and frantic. His little brother was nowhere to be seen and did not answer when called.

But suddenly a cry echoed through the night. They all turned their heads and spotted that the door of a large office building had been ripped off. The scream seemed to come from there.

“Raphael!” Leonardo called out, running inside the building without thinking. It was dark but behind him Donatello turned on his flashlight to illuminate the building's entrance hall.

 

*

 

The cut never came. Instead he suddenly fell, the countless small hands holding him disappearing from one moment to the other. Looking around in confusion he all of the sudden was blinded by a flashlight.

“Raphael!”

Leo? Leo! It was really him. His big brother had somehow managed to chase the nightmare away. He tried to stand on his wobbly legs but failed. This time he was caught before he hit the ground.

“Raph!” Leonardo held him upright and looked at him with concern. “Dear God, what happened to you?”

The brawler opened his mouth to answer but did not manage a single syllable before everything went dark.

 

He woke up to a stinging pain in his shoulder. Groaning he turned his head and opened his eyes, only to close them again with a curse. The light was bright.

“Hey, he is waking up!” Michelangelo's cheerful voice sounded beside him. “How do you feel? Do you have a headache?What's your name? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Whoa, whoa, kid!” Raphael said annoyed. “That's enough!”

“Well, these are all good questions if we want to rule out a concussion.” April's voice came from the other side before the redhead's face appeared, hovering above him. “But maybe give him a moment, Mikey.”

When his eyes had adjusted to the light, Raphael saw that he was back in the lair, in his own room to be precise. Casey leaned against the wall, giving a grin and a peace sign, Mikey intensely studied his face, April grabbed his arm to take his pulse and the pain was caused by Donatello disinfecting his wounds. He thought it was exaggerated and wanted to say something, but the genius beat him to it.

“Better safe than sorry.” The purple-banded turtle spoke as if reading his mind. “We don't know who or what attacked you and where they or it have been before.”

These words had Raphael frown. Was it a who or a what? Good question. Had it been real? Well, he had wounds to prove something attacked him. So the ghosts of the women he had failed to save had attacked him. But why was Faustus there? Was he dead, too? Or was he alive and had escaped Bishop? And why would the women he killed help him? They should want Faustus dead not Raphael.

“Karai, does not answer her phone. Not that this is new.” Leonardo stepped in, staring at his phone. “I swear with this woman you never know if she is pouting, playing hard to get or dead! She is... Raph! You are awake!”

A relieved and rare tender expression spread across the older brother's face and he rushed to sit on Raphael's bed.

“Hey, little brother.” He smiled. “How do you feel?”

“A lil' crowded.” Raphael grumbled, casting the O'Neils an annoyed look.

At this moment Donatello let go of him and started putting away his utensils.

“Already done.” He said.

“What about the concussion thing?” Michelangelo asked worriedly, waving with his fingers in front of Raph's face.

The brawler sat up and gently grabbed the hand.

“I feel good. I don't have a headache. The name's Raphael. And these...” He playfully wiggled Michelangelo's hand. “Are three fingers. Did I pass, Doc?”

An adorable blush spread across Mikey's face.

“I am not the expert here.” He smiled before turning to his brother. “Is he okay, Donnie?”

“He is definitely himself.” Donatello answered, one eye ridge raised. “I think he'll live.”

“That is good to hear.” Everybody turned to the old rat who now entered the room. “Raphael, I am glad to hear that you are out of immediate danger.”

April left her spot at Raphael's side, making room for Splinter who with a smile placed a hand on his younger son's shoulder.

“You gave us quite the scare, my son.” He smiled. “But I trust Donatello's words that you will fully recover.”

“Great!” Raphael sighed relieved. “Can we now talk about the fact that I've been attacked by a buncha dead girls and a psycho killer that should be locked up?”

“Pardon me?” Leonardo said.

Raphael told the others everything that had happened after he had left the jeweler. The gang members running into the office building, him following, convinced the group was right behind him, his encounter with the vengeful dead women and of course about Faustus.

“When we came to after the gust, you were already gone. We could not have been behind you. We could not find you.” Leonardo said after his younger brother had finished his story, flinching a bit a the memory.

“Yeah, and the Dragons got in their car and bailed out after that stinky wind.” Casey added. “They didn't go inta that office.”

“Thinking 'bout it now...” Raphael pondered. “I saw _someone_ run in there and heard _someone's_ footsteps behind me.”

“A demonic trick maybe, father?” Leonardo addressed Splinter. “To lure him in and give a false sense of security?”

“Most likely.” The rat nodded.

“Why? Ta kill me?” Raphael asked.

“I am not sure, my son.” The old master said regretfully. “Unfortunately Kala could not provide information about the exact nature of the demons that escaped. Else their motives might be clearer.”

Raphael huffed in frustration. But then he noticed April and Donatello looking at each other, both wearing an expression of realization.

“Okay, you nerds.” He addressed them. “Ya know something?”

“Maybe...” Donatello said.

“It was one of the first books from Warren's house I read and I gave it to Don immediately after.” April explained. “I remember reading about a specific type of demons who feed on a certain emotion in their victim.”

“They use hallucinations to stir their preferred emotion to get more of it.” The turtle in purple added. “They turn that emotion into energy, making them more powerful, enabling them to lure more victims and feed on them.”

“But these wounds are real.” Leonardo said. “Not hallucinations.”

“Depending on the power of the creature whatever represents the emotion can manifest in reality.” April explained. “According to Warren's book it needs a very strong demon to accomplish that, but...”

“Their power was exactly the reason these creatures we are dealing with were imprisoned.” Splinter nodded.

“What kinda emotion do they want?” Casey ask.

“That's different, depending on the creature.” April answered. “It can be lust or anger or...”

“Fear.” Leonardo added.

“Or Fear.” The redheaded woman nodded.

“So, they create pictures in the victim‘s minds that causes the emotion and they feed from it.” Leonardo repeated. “Does that mean the victim loses their emotion?”

“Funny enough, no.” Donatello shook his head. “Quite the opposite. The emotion in question becomes stronger. The longer the demon feeds, the higher the chance that the emotion will forever manifest in the intensity the demon has caused. Depending on the emotion that means madness.”

“Great!” Raphael moaned. “But why only me?”

“Captivity probably weakened the demons.” Splinter assumed. “Usually it might be able to hold a whole town or even country in its unholy grip but it will need to gather its strength after escaping his prison.”

“And if our theory is correct and it is in the Foot Tower”, Donatello said. “We were not exactly close by. It must have targeted us specifically but was not strong enough to get to us all.”

“Karai.” Raphael growled. “She lured us out. Here in the lair we would've been protected from the demon's crap.”

“You don't know that.” Leonardo said.

Raphael rolled his eyes. Would his brother ever learn?

“Seriously, Fearless?” The brawler huffed. “She calls ya, the demon attacks one of usout of all people in NYC and now she's unavailable.”

“She could be a victim, too, Raph.” Leonardo retorted. “Look, I have no illusions about her reliability but she is to smart to ally herself with demons. After we found you, we returned to the lair. We don't know if she was in the warehouse as promised or not.”

“Yeah, yeah, very clever, Fearless.” The turtle in red grumbled. “Did yer brain come up with that oooorrrr....”

His eyes went down between Leonardo's legs, causing the leader to blush.

“Wait!” April said. “So it's true what people say about you and Karai?”  
Raphael had to suppress a grin as he saw his older brother pale.

“What?” The turtle in blue exclaimed. “Why do you know that?”

“Pfff, you ran around collecting information about us.” Mikey answered. “Of course we did the same.”

“One of the few informations we did not have to pay for was the story about 'The Turtle and the Ninja Princess.'” April giggled. “People just love to gossip.”

“Oh God.” Leonardo hid his face in his right hand. Raphael meanwhile gave up fighting his fit of laughter.

“Don't worry.” Donatello said dryly. “I stopped believing the stories when they said you split up because you could not agree on how to raise the kids.”

“Oh God.” Leonardo repeated.

“I see the amusement that lies in this subject.” Splinter interrupted lightheartedly. “But we should worry about the creature that attacked my son.”

“Could it be fear it is feeding on?” Leonardo gratefully took the opportunity to change the subject, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Would it not use my greatest fear?” Raphael asked. “Ta get as much as possible ta eat?”

“Sounds reasonable.” Donatello affirmed. “Your greatest fear would provide more power and be easier to stir.”

“Yeah, well, being attacked by dead girls I couldn't save ain't it!” The hothead insisted. “I didn't even know that was possible ´til a few hours ago, how could I fear it?”

“Maybe it's not fear but guilt?” April suggested. “You said the women accused you of being too late to save them. Did you feel that way?”

“Yes.” Raphael admitted quietly.

Splinter's hand found his shoulder again.

“Murder and rape are the culprit's fault alone.” He said in a calm voice. “Not the woman's who forgets to lock her door and not the police man's who is a minute too late.”

“But if Raphael felt that way”, Donatello speculated. “The demon could have sensed that and taken advantage of it.”

“But if I was food for that demon”, Raph wanted to know. “Why kill me? Whatever emotion he likes ta eat, I woulda stopped having it, if I was dead.”

“Lesser demons might only have feeding on their mind.” The old rat answered. “But a higher one can have an agenda beyond that and might use its powers to rid itself of a foe or a threat.”

“We all have our share of guilt.” April said. “But I think I speak for my siblings as well when I say that it does not compare to that burden you force yourself to carry.”

Mikey and Don nodded.

“Yeah, whatever I feel bad about, it's not like that!” Casey agreed.

“And even though Leonardo went through the same experience...” Splinter started.

“Yeah, yeah, I know!” Raphael interrupted more rudely than he had meant to. “Fearless has his mental superpowers and the demon probably sensed that. Leaving me the most tasty target.”

Probably due to the circumstances his father was willing to let this outburst slide.

“Rest now, my son.” He smiled softly. “It is late. We all need our strength. Tomorrow we may look further into this matter. And in Miss Oroku's role.”

The last part he directed at Leonardo with raised brows.

“Of course, father. I will also contact Bishop to make sure Faustus is still secured. Just to be safe.” The turtle in blue answered before turning to Raphael: “Good night, little brother. Sleep well.”

“Yeah, thanks. Same ta ya.”

After everyone had bid their good nights, Raphael let himself fall back into his bed with a sigh. Sleep well. Easier said than done.

 

*

 

It was long past midnight when Michelangelo stood in front of Raphael's room. Everybody else had gone to sleep, except for Don and April who were in the lab because of ‚a thought’ the genius had. But the youngest O’Neil brother just could not shake the image of the tough turtle in red looking so broken when questioned about feeling guilty. Of course, Mikey did not know the whole story of that Faustus. But obviously he was a rapist and a murderer of young girls and women. And Raphael felt responsible for not stopping him sooner. The turtle in orange sighed. He really cared for the brawler and hated seeing him so down.

Raphael was not asleep. There were footsteps behind the door and beneath it light fell on the corridor's floor. Gathering all his courage, Mikey knocked.

“Yeah?” Came a surprised voice.

“It's me. Mikey.”

“Come in!”

Michelangelo opened the door and smiled at Raphael.

“What can I do for ya?” The turtle in red asked with a tired smile, sitting down on his bed.

“I...I wanted to tell you. I mean, not that you need my opinion. It's just that maybe you...And even if not you might...” Mikey rambled.

“Okay, okay, honeyball.” Raphael laughed good-naturedly. “How about ya take a breath and try again? This time making sense?”

“Ehm, yes.” The usually confident prankster felt the blush rising on his face but tried again nonetheless: “I just wanted to say that I think your Dad is right. It wasn't your fault that these girls died. I think you and your brother are heroes for stopping him.”

“Thanks, Mikey.” The other turtle said genuinely. “I guess 'tis just one of those head and heart things, ya know. My brain knows yer right, but I can't shake the feeling that I coulda done better.”

Michelangelo took another step towards the turtle on the bed and lightly touched his shoulder.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked carefully.

Raphael raised his head and looked at Michelangelo with an unreadable expression.

“No.” He finally answered quietly.

“O...okay...” The young thief stuttered and let go of the muscular shoulder.

He was about to turn around and leave when one of Raphael's strong emerald hands sprang forward and grabbed his belt. Mikey yelped as the stronger turtle pulled him down to his lap. The brawler‘s other hand took hold of the thief's neck and pulled him closer. Their noses were touching and Raphael whispered against Michelangelo's lips: “I am done talking.”

Before the turtle in orange had a chance to react, Raphael's lips were on his. Swept away by the strong turtle's passion, Michelangelo without thinking granted entrance to the questing hot tongue and moaned into the ever deeper kiss. Sure, he had come here to talk but he saw no reason to complain about this change of plan. The passionate dance of their tongues went on for some beautiful minutes and was only reluctantly broken when they both needed air. After catching his breath Raphael did not hesitate to attack Mikey‘s neck with soft kisses. A warm feeling spread in the thief‘s loins and something hard poking against his upper legs told him he was not the only one. But obviously Raphael had dropped down already. With a deep churr the hothead started teasing the slit that hid Michelangelo's manhood.

“It's rude to keep me waiting.” He whispered, the golden eyes staring in Mikey's with dilated pupils.

The sensations overwhelmed the turtle in orange. The strong fighter he had been fantasizing about for a while now let him sit on his muscular legs. The thief could not help the soft churr escaping his throat at the mere thought. Raphael's left hand kneaded Mikey's leaf green buttockswhile his right applied slow and even strokes along the soft cartilage between his legs, coaxing out his erection. When the tip showed, a smug grin blossomed on the brawler's handsome face.

“That's better.” He commended and leaned in for another kiss.

Wasting no time, Raphael carefully circled his hand around Michelangelo's tail, drawing more churrs and moans from him until finally he dropped down as well. The red-masked turtle kept caressing the prankster's tail while slowly moving closer to his entrance.

“Ehm, Raph?” Mikey broke the kiss.

“Yes, babe?”

“I really like that... And I like you but I really don't wanna do that without...”

He was pulled into another kiss before he could finish his sentence. When he drew back, Raphael wore a complacent look and leaned down to reach under his mattress. With a triumphant smirk he presented a bottle of lube.

“Always prepared, huh?” Mikey chuckled nervously.

Raphael let go of his tail to open the bottle and lubed up his left index finger. He returned to his ministrations at Mikey's tail, slowly but steadily nearing the puckered hole. The smaller turtle shivered at the sensation and put his arms around Raph's neck for support.

“Ya wanna know a secret?” The red-masked turtle husked in Michelangelo's ear slit while circling around his entrance.

Churring and moaning Mikey nodded eagerly. Horny or not – he loved secrets.

“Usually this lil' bottle is well hidden between mah stuff in the bathroom.” Raphael whispered in between tender nips and licks to the thief's neck . “But when Leo decided that ya stay here – first chance I got, I brought it here.”

“Uhh,...” Processing what Raphael had said was not easy for Michelangelo. Busy with leaning his head back to give better access to his neck while bucking his hips for some desperately needed friction and still keeping up breathing, it took him a while. But when he finally understood it, he halted.

“Waiiiit!” He said. “Does that mean you were planning...”

“On fucking ya?” Raphael grinned and with one determined push shoved his finger inside Mikey, up to the hilt. “Ya bet.”

Gasping the smaller turtle gripped the hothead's shell and churred long and deep when the finger inside him found his sweet spot.

“But...but...” He tried forming a coherent sentence. “You could not know...ah... that I would c...come here.”

“Nah,” Raphael grinned. “Didn't say I was planning on fucking ya today, but definitely on fucking ya some day.”

“Still, it's pretty...ah...presumptuous...to...ehm...”

“Presumptuous, huh? Ya stole yer brother's dictionary?” The brawler carefully added a second finger and started scissoring before offering in an innocent tone: “Of course I can stop if I am being to...presumptuous.”

“Don't you dare.” Mikey whined, bucking his hips.

Raphael's dark chuckle vibrated in the nape of Michelangelo's neck and seemed to rush through his whole body. He did no longer want to wait.

“Please!” He begged. “Take me now.”

“Yer an impatient lil' one, aren't ya?” The taller turtle smirked, but then turned serious: “But I won't risk hurting ya. So gimme another minute.”

“I am not a fragile little virgin.” Mikey pouted. “Fuck me already!”

“Alright, tough guy.” Raph growled lowly, circling both his fingers in Michelangelo's tight hole one last time before removing them. “Let's dance.”

Biting his lower lip in anticipation, the turtle in orange allowed Raphael to lift him up lightly. The hothead adjusted the angle and carefully led Mikey down. But when his member's tip touched the others entrance, he suddenly pushed up while simultaneously pulling Michelangelo down.

Unable to stop a cry of surprise, light pain and immense lust, Mikey was glad that Raph pulled him into another kiss, swallowing the sound. Explaining the noises at the breakfast table did not make it on his list of favorite morning activities.

The sting was soon forgotten for the brawler quickly managed to hit Michelangelo's prostate with every thrust.

“Ya feel amazing, honey.” Raphael praised between his deep churrs. “Tight and soft. I'm so glad ya came ta me.”

“Raphie...” Was all the answer Mikey could muster but the turtle in red did not seem to mind.

He removed one of his hands from the leaf-green hips and started to stroke his partner's erection, grinning proudly at the noises Michelangelo made at that.

The thief forgot everything around him. There were no demons threatening the city, no home he had been forced to leave behind, no so-called gift that kept him from being useful. All there was, was Raphael. Holding him, taking him, caressing him, whispering sweet nothings.

He held on tight, nuzzling his beak in Raphael's neck, relishing the moment and pushing away every thought of what the next morning might bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading Chapter 10. Next week I am not at home so I don’t know if I can publish Chapter 11 in the regular schedule. Maybe it will be a few days late.  
> As always share your thoughts.


	11. Cause and Effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay. At first shit happened and I couldn't write as much as I wanted, then shit happened so I had to rewrite the whole chapter and then I freaked out because I worried I had forgotten something important while rewriting. I am still not sure, but I kept you waiting long enough.  
> So here is chapter 11.  
> Please excuse any mistakes. Proofreading was done in a hurry.

Raphael awoke to faint voices entering his dream. They were familiar but in the state between waking and sleeping he could not pinpoint them. As he was drifting into consciousness, he started wondering why his dreams had been so balanced, peaceful and pleasant. He could not remember them in particular, but they were nothing like they should have been after last night. The voices became louder, drawing him closer to consciousness when suddenly a foreign weight on his plastron startled him and woke him immediately. He jerked up causing Mikey to slide of his chest and land on the mattress with a huff. But the orange-banded thief was anything but a light sleeper as it seemed and aside from a cute snorting noise of protest he did not react.

Suddenly the reason for Raphael’s undisturbed sleep was obvious. A little churr escaped him at the memory of last night and for a moment he considered waking Mikey for another round. But then he remembered that neither the little thief nor he himself had had the notion to lock the door. Plus, one of the voices in the corridor was unmistakably Leonardo who did not sound too happy anyway. So another roll in the hay was more of a bad idea. Carefully, not to wake Mikey, Raphael left the bed and stepped out of his room. A few steps away, close to the O’Neils’ door, Donatello leaned against the wall, looking tired. Obviously another night shift for the nerd faction. He clung to a steaming pot like to a lifeline and with an expression of strained patience stared at Leonardo who stood tall in front of him, clearly unsatisfied. None of them noticed Raphael.

“I just don’t understand why you would spend your money on expired codes.” Leonardo spoke. “That does not make sense.”

“Then you’ll be happy to hear that I spend your money on it.” Casually Donatello blew on his coffee, keeping an admirable straight face.

“Donatello!” The leader growled.

“Calm down.” Rolling his eyes, the genius sipped his coffee. “I am joking, obviously. When would I have stolen your credit card?”

“I don’t have a…”

“My point exactly!”

“Alright.” Leonardo sighed, one hand raised in a silent plea for a restart on the subject. “Please, dear Donatello, tell me why and how you acquired two expired codes to the Foots’ security system.”

“The reason is pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Donnie yawned. “One code is from last month, the other from the month before. April and I should be able to calculate the formula which the changes are based on and so gain the current code.”

“Shouldn’t the codes be generated randomly?” The turtle in blue raised his eye ridges in surprise.

“That’s where the ‘how’ comes into play.” The genius said, rubbing his eyes. “As you probably know your family are not the only enemies the Foot have made. I have a contact that is one of their opponents, too. He provided me with the codes and the knowledge that the system is not random, even though Oroku Saki thinks so.”

“How did your contact get the codes?” Leo asked. “Expired or not - the Foot won’t pin them on the refrigerator. And how does he know how the system works?”

“He has informants beneath the Foot. They would not dare give him the current code. But since they believe expired codes are worthless they exchange them for money or favors.” Don explained. “As for your second question: He knows that because he developed the system.”

“Baxter Stockman developed the Foot clan’s security system!” Leonardo’s eyes went wide in sudden realization.

“You’ve met?” The purple-masked turtle asked casually.

“Met?! He destroyed our first home with his damn mousers!” The Hamato heir suddenly roared. Startled by the sudden aggression the genius pressed himself closer against the wall, brown eyes wide in shock.

Raphael saw guilt spreading on his older brother’s face and soon enough he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“I apologize.” He said, breathing in and out noisily. “But you really should have consulted with me before.”

“Why?” Donatello asked sleepily. “I only do what you ordered me to. Use my skills as well as my resources to get us into the Foot tower.”

“Did we or did we not agree that I lead?” Leonardo pulled rank and Raph admired how Don did NOT roll his eyes at that.

“We did.” The genius affirmed. “But _you_ need to agree that I work way more efficient if I do not have to coordinate all my steps with you.”

“Not all your steps.” The leader corrected. “Just those that involve allying with one of the most dangerous men in New York.”

“Most dangerous men in New York?” Donatello asked incredulously. “Are we talking top one million?”

“Did I mention that his mousers destroyed our home?”

“Doctor Stockman was under Oroku Saki’s thumb back then. He threatened to…”

“Oh no, no, no! Back then Stockman worked for the Shredder willingly.”

“That’s not what he told me.”

“Well, you can either believe him or me.”

“Well, he never was such a jerk towards me.”

“Oh, now I am being a jerk for…”

“Ooooookay!” Raphael made his presence known, stepping towards the two other turtles.

Both stared at him in shock since they had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had not seen him yet. Taking advantage of their stunned silence, the turtle in red made a rare attempt at diplomacy.

“Leo, Donnie can’t very well change that he already talked ta Stockman, can he?”

“I guess not.” The older Hamato brother sighed.

“And he couldn’t have known ‘bout our history with that guy, right?”

“No, he couldn’t.”

“And, brainiac,” Raphael now addressed the purple-banded turtle. “Next time ya wanna involve people, talk ta us first ta make sure they’re no enemies of ours. We made quite a few of those over the years, ya know.”

“Understood.” Don said with another yawn before turning his attention to the coffee once more.

“Since I’m here, gimme a lil’ heads up, will ya?” Raph smirked. “So ol’ Bax develops Shredder’s security system, but then turns his back on him. Why keep the system?”

“For one, Oroku Saki did not know that the codes were not randomly generated. Doctor Stockman did that to have an ace up his sleeve when the need would arise. From the beginning he prepared for the day he would escape the Foot.” During the last part of his explanation Donatello looked pointedly at Leonardo but the turtle in blue only scoffed.

“Number two,” the genius went on. “Baxter Stockman is one of the best and Oroku Saki knows that. Of course he wanted to keep his exceptional work and make use of it. As far as Doctor Stockman was informed, a guy named Chaplin upgraded the system and did some minor changes. But the basics stayed the same. One of the basics being that the system uses a certain algorithm to generate a code. Whether Mister Chaplin did not notice or not care, is unknown.”

“But shouldn’t Stockman know the code then?” Leonardo questioned, still wary. “Like you he has the old codes and knows the formula.”

“The system is designed to use an algorithm, not to use a specific one.” Donatello clarified. “It was reset when Chaplin made the changes and restarted the system.”

“And no one ever noticed? That seems weird.” The leader was insistent in his distrust.

“Look, that’s the information I have.” The genius snapped at him exasperatedly. “It’s not like your Foot princess answers her phone.”

“Or that I woulda trust anything she says.” Raph added.

“I am just careful.” Leonardo growled. “Stockman has not the best reputation.”

“Okay, I am sorry.” Don said. “But the formula is generated randomly and it is very complex. So whatever the system spits out at a new month’s beginning will seem random to most people, especially if they have no reason to believe otherwise.”

“But we know better and we are very smart!” No one had heard the bedroom’s door open due to their discussion but now the three turtles spotted April. She, too, looked a little tired. Her hair was messy, what was left of her mascara smeared around her eyes and she wore her adorable Peanuts themed pajamas inside out.

She gave a light smile to the Hamatos and a very bright one to her older brother, combined with puppy dog eyes. Sighing he handed her his coffee cup and with a satisfied expression she took a long sip of the hot beverage.

“I think I figured it out last night.” She finally said. “But of course we will have to recalculate. And there is still the other problem.”

“What other problem?” Alarmed Leonardo turned towards Donatello and when the genius did not react, he lightly shook him and repeated: “What other problem?”

“Huh?” The exhausted scientist stared longingly at his coffee cup in his sister’s hand and only with effort managed to avert his gaze to look at the blue-masked ninja. “Oh,… that,… yes,… problem… it’s best we show you. We have a video. But your father said Kala and Yort will return today. Let’s wait for them, so we…”

He fell silent when rather loudly a door fell shut. They all turned their eyes towards the source and spotted Michelangelo who – for everyone to see – had come out of Raphael’s room.

“Good morning.” He greeted sheepishly.

Raphael suppressed a grin at the stunned silence. Maybe he should just laugh at Leonardo’s face but then he thought it would be funnier if he reacted nonchalantly.

“Mornin’, Mikey.” He said with a wink.

Nobody else spoke or moved a muscle at first. Only slowly April turned her face to Donatello who had his dark eyes fixed on his younger brother. In his periphery Raphael saw his own brother’s gaze resting on himself. Even without looking he could have felt it. However, for now he was interested in the genius’ reaction. Which turned out to be surprising.

Donatello suddenly blinked, pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and yawned.

“Should I not be awake by then, get me when Kala and Yort are back. “ He said. “I need to get some sleep.”

Then he shuffled to his family’s room and closed the door behind him. After a few seconds of surprise, April furrowed her brows and stomped after him. She ripped the door open and followed her brother.

“’I need to get some sleep’? That’s all you’re gonna say?” Was all Raphael heard her grouch before the door slammed shut behind her.

Unable to make out the muffled conversation behind the door, he turned his attention to Leonardo who casually leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his plastron, wearing a relaxed yet disapproving look. Not willing to back down, Raphael copied his brother’s posture and glared back. After a while someone cleared his throat.

“Ehm… guys?” Mikey’s voice sounded through the corridor. “Should I go make breakfast?”

“That would be nice, Michelangelo.” Leonardo answered without taking his gaze of Raphael.

“Yeah, ya do that, honeyball.” The brawler agreed, likewise refusing to break eye contact with his brother.

“Ooooookay…” The turtle in orange made and soon Raph heard his footsteps retreating.

The turtle in red was not sure how much time passed. Both brothers focused hostile glares at each other, either daring the other to break the antagonistic silence that vibrated between them. But Leonardo had always been better at this game and once more it was Raph who spoke first.

“What’s yer problem, Fearless?” He growled.

“As I told you the last time you asked that questions: Demons, Raphael! Demons attacking New York are my main problem.” Leonardo answered with his lecturing voice. “But obviously another one is my little brother trying to sabotage the functionality of my team.”

“What’s that s‘posed ta mean?” Raphael wanted to know with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Leonardo looked towards the O’Neils’ bedroom before grabbing Raph’s arm to pull him a few steps away. Then he spoke in a low voice, only for his younger brother to hear: “We need April and Donatello. How cooperative you think they’ll be if you use their little brother as a sex toy to distract yourself from your issues?”

With another growl Raph yanked his arm from his brother’s grip. Clenching his fists he stepped dangerously close to Leo’s face, breathing heavily in an attempt to control his rage.

“I ain’t using no one, Fearless.” He snarled. “Just because I ain’t a prude like ya, don’t mean I am an asshole.”

“Really?” Leonardo mocked. “You never, not once took advantage of someone’s crush on you?”

“Exactly!” Raph stated, but Leo only scoffed.

“That might be true if we replace ‘never’ with ‘every single time we visited the Battle Nexus’.” The elder sneered.

“I never made any promises!” The hothead insisted, feeling his temper rising. “Just having some fun.”

“Not making any promises is not the same as being honest, little brother.” Leonardo moralized, his tone condescending. “Did you really every time, before dropping down, tell them ‘Hey, I like sex, but responsibility, commitment and all that bullshit ain’t mah thing. So lemme fuck ya and then throw ya away like a used tissue, aw’right?’?”

The older Hamato appeared calm but to his younger brother it was plain as day that he was angry when he used these crude expressions, even if only in aping Raphael.

“Number one, I don’t talk like that.” The brawler insisted. “Number two, I met all those men and women in a Nexus tavern the night before or after big fights. Ya really think, they expected ta find a partner fer life there, Fearless?”

“I don’t know what these people expected,” the blue-banded turtle admitted. “But I know that the looks Michelangelo gave you these last days and this morning were not the looks of someone who just wants to ‘have some fun’!”

“Mikey is a different thing!” Raph said quickly. “I got ta know him and I like him. Ya won’t see me ‘throwing him away’.”

“Oh?” Leo made surprised. “So it is something serious?”

“Yes,… no,… I mean, not really.” The brawler tried to explain. “We just see where it goes.”

“Ah, I understand.” Leonardo said sarcastically. “And you sure have a plan, for the – of course most unlikely – case that you don’t agree on where it should go.”

“Look, ya self-righteous prude”, Raph growled. “Maybe if you took yer stick out of yer ass and put yer dick in someone else’s, ya’d be less frustrated and less frustrating.”

“I always recognize when you run out of arguments.” The leader said in an arrogant tone. “It’s when you become crude, hoping to throw me off. Unfortunately for you, it doesn’t work.”

“Just get of yer high horse, before I pull ya…”

“Hey, guys!” Michelangelo’s cheerful voice interrupted the Hamato’s fight and both turned towards the turtle in orange when he said: “I set the table. I guessed that April and Don will not join us, but I prepared for us, Master Splinter and Leatherhead.”

“Count Leatherhead out.” Leonardo smiled. “Your siblings kept him up last night, too. Last time I checked he was sleeping on his keyboard.”

“Yeah,” Mikey agreed. “I don’t wanna be the one to wake a tired giant croc.”

“Neither do I.” Leonardo admitted. “But I’ll get father. I am sure, he would like to join us.”

“Great!” The young thief said and watched the leader leave. When he turned to Raph his grin turned into a sympathetic smile: “Did you have a fight with your brother?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Raph shrugged, trying to downplay the argument and the effect it had on him.

“Because of me?” Mikey asked guiltily.

“Hey, dontcha worry yer cute lil’ head ‘bout my big brother, honeyball.” The red-masked turtle admonished good-naturedly. “He’s pro’bly just jealous ya came outta my room this mornin’.”

“Yeah, I kinda doubt that.” Michelangelo laughed, blushing lightly. “But thanks anyway. Breakfast?”

“Absolutely.” Raph nodded firmly. “Yer siblings found more problems. No way I’m facing those without coffee.”

“Good thinking!”

 

*

 

“’I need to get some sleep’? That’s all you’re gonna say?” April exclaimed and shut the door much louder than Don could bare at the moment. He groaned at the noise and the impending argument.

“What would you want me to say?” He asked, laying down on his sleeping mat.

“Any reaction to Mikey fucking with Raphael beside none would be nice.” The red-headed woman hissed.

“Whatever I said would neither change that it happened nor prevent it from happening again.” Don explained tiredly.

“So, Mikey can screw around without you griping about it?” She asked. “That’s a little bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“What?” The genius rubbed his reddened eyes as he struggled to understand her in his sleep deprived state.

“Don’t play dumb, Donnie!” April was more than upset as she paced around the room. “It doesn’t suit you! Why is your brother allowed to have sex with a guy he barely knows while you freak out if your sister just goes out on a date?”

Donatello’s eyes sprang open in sudden realization. With another sigh he clumsily got up and stopped his sister’s pacing by putting his hands on her shoulder.

“I understand how it must seem to you.” He admitted. “But I swear that this has nothing to do with you being a gi…woman and Mikey being male.”

“Then what is it?” She wanted to know, her arms-crossed, her eyes doubtful.

After taking a deep breath, Donatello tried to explain himself: “In the last days I realized that there are worse things I need to protect you from than heartbreak. There are demons out there, for crying out loud. And if flirting or even sexual intercourse help you deal with it, I won’t stop you.”

“So, you’re okay with Casey and Raph?” April asked unconvinced.

Smiling lightly her big brother removed his hands from her shoulder and started gesturing between them.

“I don’t have to be, right?” He evaded the question. “If you are okay with them, that’s enough.”

As she still watched him with distrust, he elaborated: “Do I think Casey is a numbskull? Yes! Do I think Mikey will burn his fingers on Raphael? Absolutely yes! Am I an expert on sex and romance? Hell no!”

“So basically: You are sure that we are making poor choices, but you let us.” The red-head chuckled with one raised brow.

“I wouldn’t say I am sure…I just believe it.” Donnie joked, but added in a more serious tone: “What do I know though? I never was in love or ‘had a crush’ on someone or whatever the appropriate term is. So I guess I have no right to judge the decisions of someone who does feel that way about someone else.”

April patiently listened to her brother’s short speech and afterward watched with softened expression when he fell back on his sleeping bag to catch up what he missed in the night. Smiling tenderly she sank down beside him, sitting cross-legged, and put her hand in his.

“But, if we burn our fingers…” She started hesitantly. “You’ll be there to treat the wound, right?”

Immediately the turtle in purple sat up again, cupped her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers.

“Always!” He reassured in a promising tone.

“That’s good to hear!” April said relieved. “And if someone ever breaks your heart, I’ll stab her or him with a magical short sword!”

“I’ll make sure to mention that on the first date!”

 

*

 

As expected Kala and Yort returned from their visit of the Nexus that day. The inhabitants of the lair had just finished their afternoon tea when the two cat mutants joined them. Master Splinter offered them hot beverage and snacks as well but they politely declined.  Like the first time, everybody sat on or around the sofa while the two cats positioned themselves in front. They were tired and brought bad news.

Still the headquarters of the Order of the Nexus were magically locked down. An invisible force field kept everyone out. Theoretically it kept people in, too, but since Kala had not managed to contact anyone in the building, she could not tell if her fellow mages were still alive. It was quite possible that she and the four other apprentices that by mere luck had been outside during the lockdown were the only surviving mages of the order. Yort did not fare much better. Even though several of his comrades had been on duty outside the building, many of his fellow guards were trapped inside like most mages, their fates unknown. But obviously it was nothing he wanted to dwell on since whenever Kala’s voice trembled while she talked, he would impatiently growl at her to put her back on track. Not that it helped much. Because of the lockdown and the lack of contact to any higher ranked mages, the young mutant cheetah had not much information to give.

Leonardo knew that as a leader he had to master a situation with as much or less knowledge as he was granted, but knowing close to nothing about the nature, the abilities or the motives of their enemies was frustrating to say the least.

“So, there is nothing new you could tell us about how they were freed and to which purpose?” He asked, trying not to sound desperate.

“No, not really.” Kala said embarrassed.

“You said that the demons’ escape was coordinated. So they – or their liberators – must have communicated with each other.” Donatello asked astutely. “They most likely did not use a cellphone. Did you try tracing for residues of communicational magic?”

“I did.” Kala nodded regretful. “But I am not strong enough to trace magic like that when it was used more than a few hours ago. One of the elder mages probably could find traces even weeks old, but…

“…but we have to make do with you.” Yort spat nastily. “The long and the short of it: Kala has nothing. No traces of the demons, their mortal allies or their magic. And not a hint what they are doing at the moment or planning for the future.”

During her last visit Kala would have bitten back when attacked by Yort. But while he had hardened during their absence, her emotional state had weakened notably. Now she just looked like a kicked puppy in the face of his insults.

“I… I am sorry!” She exclaimed, fighting tears. “I am just an apprentice, a student! I was not prepared, I am not prepared. I really…”

“…need to calm down.” Donatello’s soft voice interrupted her. He left his spot on the sofa and encouragingly patted her shoulder. “Who knows how good one of the higher ranked mages would fare on his own without his books, weapons and other magic artifacts?”

“But I…”

“Speaking of magic artifacts”, suddenly Mikey was beside Kala as well, not allowing her to fall back in to her self-doubting rant. “Master Splinter says you wanted to borrow that golden doohickey we found in that monsterhunter’s house?”

“Ehm, yes.” She nodded hesitantly. “From what you said, it can track down demons and tell how far they are away. I know a spell that can increase a magic item’s power – if it’s a passive one that is. I was hoping that then I can locate the demons even in different dimensions.”

“That’s a great plan.” April commended, making Kala smile lightly.

“If it works.” Yort said gruffly and immediately the young mage’s face fell again.

“Every plan needs to pass the test of reality, Yort.” Donatello spoke coolly with a disapproving glint in his eyes. “Kala offered us a chance. Discouraging it without putting it to the test, is not only inefficient but also very rude.”

All three O’Neils now cast dark glances in Yort’s direction. Looking away he uncomfortably mumbled: “I guess we could try it.”

“I agree. We should.” Master Splinter chimed in. “It is time for Michelangelo’s lesson now and I would like to use the artifact one more time. After that Kala may borrow the artifact with the O’Neils’ permission. But as I understand Donatello and April need your opinion on another difficulty that has occurred. I suggest Michelangelo and I will meditate now while the rest of you looks into this new problem.”

“Understood, father.” Leonardo affirmed. “And we should not forget to finally teach everybody else the techniques against mind-control.”

“It was _yer_ girlfriend who lured us out so we skipped the last session.” Raph grinned but not without spite in his voice and expression.

“Karai and I parted months ago and you bringing it up again and again, still doesn’t prove that she lured us out.”

“What more evidence do ya need, Fearless?”

“More?” Leonardo mocked. “That sounds like there was some.”

“Oh, please, she…”

“Boys!” Splinter’s usually friendly voice took a firm and authoritative note and he let his dark eyes flick between both his sons. “This is not the time.”

“Of course, father! I apologize.” The elder son said.

“Sorry!” The younger spoke.

Splinter gave a satisfied smile and nodded before gesturing Michelangelo to follow.

“Alright!” Leonardo addressed Donatello. “Since you have that ‘other problem’ on camera, I suggest you show it to us on that ridiculously big TV-screen you brought from your home.”

While everybody else shuffled towards the TV, Donatello started walking in the laboratory’s direction. Leonardo followed him and spoke: “Please hurry. So we can finally start getting things done.”

Donatello stopped dead in his tracks and shot the taller turtle a glare that would have wilted lesser men.

“What?” The turtle in blue asked confused.

“Nothing.” Was the cold answer. “I’ll get the video now.”

And before Leo could decide whether to accompany him or not, the genius was gone, his olive-colored tail disappearing around the corner. Moments later he reappeared with a USB drive in his hand, not looking at the leader. Inwardly Leonardo sighed. He liked it way better when he got along with Donatello. Not only was it easier to work with him, the purple-masked turtle also was pleasant company with a soothing presence, dry humor and a quick mind. But still their relationship was volatile at best. However, now was not the time to wonder what had angered the thief. So he focused on the screen.

While he was connecting the USB stick with the screen, Donatello started to explain: “Dr. Stockman like us soon suspected Oroku Saki to be behind all this and he sent some people near the Foot tower for recon. He provided them with special cameras that are able to catch things invisible to the human eye. Here is what they recorded.”

Leonardo focused on the screen. The camera was placed on a roof near the Foot headquarters, it moved slowly from the base to the top, clearly showing a thin red veil covering the tower. According to Donatello this was the field that would trigger a full alarm when someone would enter the tower on any other way than through one of the heavy guarded doors. It was interesting to see, but not an unknown problem.

After the questioning look Leo threw at Donatello, the genius pointed at a spot on the screen.

“Focus your attention here around the ninth to twelfth second.” He said, avoiding Leonardo’s eyes. „It’s beneath the red field.”

Narrowing his eyes the blue-banded turtle took a closer look and a second later he saw it. Under the transparent red... something moved. A wavering black mass covered the tower, uncanny, disgusting and apparently alive.

„Is that...?” Raphael asked.

„On this recording it looks like the mass the creatures we fought were made of.” Donatello answered the unfinished question.

“Some of them did melt together to form a wave twice when we fought them near the Foot Tower.” Leonardo remembered.

“Yes, but we are talking about a much bigger surface here. “ The genius said before addressing Kala: “That is why I wanted your opinion. Is it possible that this wall actually is made of these creatures?”

“Yes, they will bound to their master’s will, in action as well as in shape.” She confirmed. “It would need a very powerful summoner to control so many of them, but…”

“…we already affirmed that lack of power is no problem our opponent has.” Leonardo sighed.

“Waitaminute!” Raphael suddenly exclaimed in alarm. “But those lil’ ones can’t do what the big one can do, right?”

“Excuse me?” Kala scratched her head.

“I think what my brother means is that according to Donatello’s and April’s theory the high demon that escaped to Earth is an emotion feeder.” Leonardo explained.

“Yeah, bastard tried ta eat ma guilt over some girl I couldn’t save.” The brawler shuddered at the memory. “Are those shadow things like him? Just less powerful? Can they do that, too?”

“No! Don’t worry.” The cheetah reassured. “The shadow demons are not connected to a specific higher demon and do not have their abilities. They are basically… the thugs of the demonic planes, the embodiment of evil and darkness, ready to kill for their master. Anyone with magical powers and knowledge of demonology can call them. And a mortal taken over by a high demon sure could call a huge amount of them.”

“That is great.” Donatello said sarcastically. “And here was I, fearing we might get bored.”

“No, that’s not going to be a problem.” Leonardo sighed, for a second feeling overwhelmed by the renewed realization of the grave danger they were all in. Collecting himself, he spoke: “Okay, bad news is that instead of one force field, there are two we have to breach. Good news is that you know how to get through the first and that the second one is made of creatures that we have a weapon against, right?”

“Yeees.” Donatello drew the syllable too long for Leo’s liking and the ‘but’ followed promptly: “But bad news to the good news is that our weapons can only kill so much of them with one attack and I don’t know if I can keep the breach in the worldly force field open long enough to kill so many of the shadow creatures that it will actually create a hole in the demonic field.”

“But you have an idea, haven’t you?” If anyone would have told Leonardo a few days ago that he would ever speak to Donatello in such a pleading voice, he would have deemed them a lunatic. But he really needed some hopeful news.

“Actually,” the genius said hesitantly. “I do. But you’re not going to like it.”

 

*

 

Distrustful and calculating Leonardo took in the middle aged black man behind the fancy desk who had listened patiently to Donatello’s explanations and now leaned back in his expensive office chair, pondering what he had heard. The blue-masked turtle still could not believe that Donatello had persuaded him to – again – skip meditation, especially since he had done so to visit Baxter Stockman instead. But thanks to his soft voice, his way with words and - not to forget - his expressive brown eyes, Donatello could be very convincing. But all that aside he probably was also right. They needed the human scientist. At least the smart turtle appeared to be no longer mad at the leader. What ever had upset him before, he acted normal again now.

Stockman’s tapping on the desk with the pen in his hand drew Leonardo out of his thoughts. With a little sigh the human pushed himself up and went around his workplace to stand right in front of the turtles. He looked at Donatello with an inscrutable expression.

“Donatello, I like you.” He stated as genuine as Leonardo had never heard him speak, before turning to the turtle in blue. “And Leonardo, I… grudgingly tolerate your existence. But this plan of yours sounds like a lot of effort on my part. Not to speak of the fact that it will possibly bring a demon’s wrath upon me. Why would I do that?”

“Are you serious, Stockman?” Leonardo growled. “These creatures threaten all citizens of New York, if not beyond, that includes you.”

“I am well protected, Leonardo.” Stockman said calmly. “I am sure others will fall victim sooner. And if these demons get to close, I will still have enough time and resources to escape. I feel perfectly safe. Yes, even though you cast me that murderous look because you gave me your word not to harm me. But please, stop it nonetheless. It is nightmare fuel.”

“I can’t believe you! Thousands of lives are at stake and you…” The ninja rose his voice at Stockman, but a soft hand on his shoulder stopped his rant before it had really begun. Donatello looked at him, pleading him to stay calm and Leonardo pressed his lips together in a thin line, giving a short nod and backed off.

“Doctor Stockman, in exchange for your help, we offer you this.” The purple masked turtle handed some papers to the man. “My sister, a friend and I developed a weapon against these creatures. These are the plans for it. I know that you do not have the amplifiers and the light source yet, but Mister Mortu agreed to share the plans for the light with you and I will provide you with my schematics to artificially reconstruct the crystals we used.”

“That sure is impressive and interesting.” Stockman said, an eyebrow cocked. “But as I said. I feel safe. I don’t need a weapon.”

“Maybe you don’t.” Donatello nodded. “But every policemen, soldier or security guard fighting these creatures does. We can build only two with what we have at hand. But I am sure with your resources you can produce a lot more in a relative short amount of time. You build a prototype, show it to the mayor and in no time you’ll have all the money you need to pay for your time, effort and resources. And everything beyond to make it really worth your while. Plus, some positive reputation as the city’s savior.”

Stockman’s face lightened up. Smiling he turned to the turtle in blue.

“See?” He asked cheerful. “That’s why I like him. We understand each other.”

Leonardo wanted to say that while maybe Donatello understood Stockman, Stockman would never even begin to grasp Donatello. Donatello might be a criminal, by the standards of the law maybe even more so than Baxter Stockman, but the olive-skinned turtle was also compassionate, selfless and considerate. Concepts that someone like Stockman did not understand or care for.

But Leonardo remained silent as the human offered his hand to Donatello.

“We have a deal!” He stated enthusiastically.

But even though the genius returned the friendly smile, he did not shake on the agreement.

“I am glad to hear that, Doctor Stockman.” He said politely. “But you have a deal with Leonardo. I work for him.”

“Really?” The man exclaimed in surprise but then without hesitation offered his hand to the leader in blue. While shaking hands he smirked: “I tried forever to get him to work for me. You have to tell me your secret some time.”

“That sounds like a lot of effort on my part.” Leonardo answered coolly. “Why would I do that?”

Stockman let out a hearty laugh.

“Touché, Leonardo! Touché!”

He accompanied the two turtles to the building’s underground parking lot where they had left the van to let them out. After steering the vehicle out of the garage, Donatello stopped and offered Leonardo the driver’s seat but he declined.

“I know I need to practice driving, too.” He admitted. “But you can get us home faster. Don’t think I have forgotten about your meditation lesson.”

“I am looking forward to it.” Donatello shrugged. “From what Mikey told me, it is very interesting and it helps him.”

“As I said, these are different techniques.”

“I know, but… Well, I won’t wiggle out of it.” The genius said as he restarted the motor.

Leonardo rubbed his eyes. It was not fair to act so grumpy towards Donatello. It was not his fault that only being near Stockman put Leo in a bad mood. But it bugged him how friendly the genius had acted with the man he disliked so much. So at the moment he could not really help his behavior. That’s why he decided to stay quiet.

None of them spoke a word until they arrived in the lair. Everyone except April had already turned in for the night and the red-headed woman was heading for their sleeping quarters as well.

“Hey, guys!” She greeted with a yawn. “Sorry, but I need to go to bed. Who would have thought that sitting on the floor with your eyes closed can be so draining?”

“An exercise of the mind can be as exhausting and straining as physical effort.” Leonardo smiled. “But just as bodily training, practice will make it easier.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She smiled tiredly. “Everything went well?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, sis.” Donatello grinned. “I’ll give you the details tomorrow. Sleep well.”

He kissed her forehead and after bidding goodnight, she disappeared in her family’s bedroom.

When she was gone, Leonardo turned to Donatello.

“If it is alright, I would like to take our meditation session to my room.” He said. “This is the first time I am in the teaching position and I feel most comfortable in my own place since I usually meditate there.”

“Of course.” Donatello shrugged. “I never meditated so I guess to me it’s all the same.”

The turtle in blue led the genius to his room and the awkward silence returned. Leonardo placed his katanas on the wooden weapon rack above his desk while Donatello leaned his bo staff against the old closet on the other side. Getting his meditation utensils out of the chest at his bed’s foot board, Leonardo heard that the smaller turtle closed the door.

“Are you mad?” The genius broke the silence. “I know you would have preferred doing it without involving Doctor Stockman or at least without giving him something for his help. But people like him don’t function that way. Altruism is a rare trait.”

“Well, I know a thief who risked everything to rescue some children.” Leonardo smiled while he rolled out his tatami mats.

“I bet this guy didn’t know the children already had Leonardo, White Knight of New York, fighting by their side.” Donatello chuckled modestly.

“I am glad you were there.” The Hamato heir said honestly.

“So, are you mad because of the Stockman matter?” The turtle in purple resumed the former topic.

“I am mad.” He admitted while placing the meditation candles around the mats. “But not at you! I am angry at Stockman for being so… so…”

“Unsympathetic? Opportunistic? Selfish?” Donatello offered.

“Yes, these all work.” Leo chuckled as he stroke a match to light the candles.

“You would say it if you were mad, right?” The thief insisted and Leonardo experienced a warm feeling at the thought that Donatello valued his opinion enough to care. But that went both ways.

“Would you?” He gave the question back cunningly and turned off the light so that only the candles illuminated the room.

“What do you mean?”

“This afternoon you were upset with me, I could tell.” Leonardo explained, stepping closer to the smaller turtle. “But I don’t know why. You didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, that!” Donatello waved dismissively. “Good thing I didn’t say anything. I overreacted. Sleep deprivation sometimes does that.”

Leonardo studied the genius. The flickering flames of the candles danced on his soft features and even though he was harder to read in the dim light, the leader was not sure if whatever had angered the olive-skinned turtle was over and done with.

“Will you ease my mind and tell me anyway?” He asked. “For successful meditation both student _and_ teacher should be able to focus and need to be free of any unnecessary burden.”

Donatello was uncomfortable, that much the ninja could tell.

“It’s really nothing, I…”

“Please?”

The genius sighed but finally spoke: “When I was about to get the video today, you told me to hurry because you wanted to finally get things done.”

“I remember.” Leo nodded and waited for the other turtle to continue. When he didn’t, the leader raised an eye ridge and asked: “That’s it? You were upset because I told you to hurry?”

“No, of course not.” Donatello answered softly.

“Then why?”

“Almost from scratch April, Leatherhead and I have developed a weapon against creatures that a few days ago were completely unknown to us.” The purple-masked turtle explained. “We already got something done.”

Leonardo groaned inwardly as realization hit him. Immediately a pang of guilt went through him as he saw the small glint of hurt in Donatello’s deep brown eyes.

“I am so sorry, Donatello!” He quickly apologized. “That was very poorly worded. It was my own frustration talking. I felt so useless since the whole thing began. You sure were not. Of course April and Leatherhead did amazing work, too. But you! I mean, you found a secret passage, you discovered that those crystals are amplifiers, it was your idea to combine them with Utrom technology to build a weapon against the shadow creatures. Hell, you were even the one to discover their aversion against light in the first place. All that was remarkable. You are remarkable.”

“Ehm, thank you.” The genius mumbled, averting his gaze. “Apology accepted.”

Stopping short, Leo tilted his head. Was Donatello blushing? He was! It was not easy to see with only the candles illuminating the room, but the leader was close enough to see the faint veil of red on the olive-colored cheeks.

“Compliments, huh?” He asked smugly.

“What?”

“Here was I spending months looking for a way to unhinge you when all it takes is a compliment.” Leonardo grinned self-complacent. “Maybe I should think of some more?”

“I am honored to entertain you.” Donatello retorted sarcastically. “But didn’t you say that I should be able to focus? Is it wise to ‘unhinge’ me then?”

“Hmm, you might have a point there.” The turtle in blue agreed, but was still smirking. Politely he gestured towards the meditation mats. “Shall we?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much action I know, but still important stuff. And trouble will be brewing soon enough.  
> Thanks for your patience. I hope you liked it. Please share your thoughts.


	12. Calm before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, for the long wait! But here is Chapter 12.  
> Thanks to the amazing Werecakes for the advice and the two mini-comics based on "Of Knights and Thieves"!
> 
> https://garnetshell.tumblr.com/post/185244415320/this-is-the-opening-sequence-of-of-knights-and  
> https://garnetshell.tumblr.com/post/185675763345/heres-another-comic-for-of-knights-and-thieves

Their older brothers still weren’t back from their meeting with Stockman so it was relatively safe to visit Raphael at that late hour without causing tension. Then again, Don had not seemed too interested when he saw Mikey stepping out of Raph’s room in the morning. Leonardo was a different story but his anger was not aimed at the youngster at all. Whatever his issue with Michelangelo’s and Raphael’s relationship was, his looks of disapproval went in his younger brother’s direction alone. But neither Leo nor Don was in Mikey’s mind as he wrapped his arms around the turtle in red.

“Hi!“ He greeted him brightly, giving him his most seductive smile.

“Hey, you!” Raphael grinned back playfully, but then his face took on an apologetic look and he said: “Sorry, honeyball, but I’m not playing tonight. This meditation crap – yeah, I know it’s important, it’s just not my favorite thing to do – always takes the last out of me. No foolin’ around tonight.”

Concentrating hard on keeping his smile up and hiding his disappointment, Michelangelo contemplated his options. He did not really need sex. But he definitely needed Raph. Usually he felt safe enough with his siblings but lately they understandably were scared, too. Even Don was not the rock against the waves he normally was. And Michelangelo knew that it was unfair to expect that from his older brother. Or from anyone. But fact was that he needed it. Sleeping next to Raphael had been peaceful and relaxing despite the horror show the world had turned into. All the things that went bump in the night did not dare to invade the red-masked warrior’s territory, the youngster was sure of that.

But Mikey was insecure whether he could ask to stay without the ulterior motive to have sex with each other. He knew pretty well that he had fallen hard for the turtle in red but did he feel the same? None of Michelangelo’s relationships had ever grown to a point where closeness and companionable silence had become as important or even more important than sex and fun. Not that no one ever meant enough to Mikey for that, he just never meant enough to someone for that. Why would this be any different now? He knew, at last _really_ knew, Raphael since only a few days now, his former relationships had not developed beyond the physical aspects within weeks or months. Maybe Raph would let him stay without sex. He could just ask. But the turtle in orange knew that he would not be able to bare the rejection.

His decision made, Mikey stepped into the others personal space. Slowly grinding their plastrons together he stood on his toes to press a light kiss under the taller turtle's chin. When no resistance occurred he let his hands run along the emerald skin of the strong shoulders and arms while nuzzling his beak into Raphael's chest.

“That’s too bad!” Michelangelo pouting evaluated the hothead’s words and a light shiver went through the older turtle. Dexterous leaf-green fingers quickly wandered down the sides of Raphael's muscular upper body, drawing a low moan from the brawler. Encouraged by the noise Mikey wasted no time and started kissing his way down the ventral shell, slowly but steadily working his way down to the slit that hid Raphael’s penis. Judging from the long deep churr escaping his throat the turtle in red was aware of Michelangelo’s ultimate goal and since he did nothing to stop the prankster, the younger turtle assumed his crush might have changed his mind. Nevertheless Mikey slowed his pace the closer he came to his prize and very slowly licked over the soft cartilage that protected Raphael's manhood. It was supposed to give the hothead time to push him away if he wanted but instead a large emerald hand grabbed the back of Mikey’s neck while the other was placed on his head, holding him in place.

 _“Yepp!”_ He thought with a grin. _“Changed his mind.”_

He repeatedly ran his tongue along the slit a few times and eagerly greeted the expanding cock the same way. Accompanied by Raphael's moans and churrs the large organ soon grew to its full glory. Mikey gave a few playful licks along the side, let his tongue swivel around the head and finally wrapped his lips around it. Inch by inch he took the other turtle's dick further in, feeling Raphael's self-restraint crumble. The brawler tightened his grip and started bucking his hips in a rough pace and Mikey was no longer sure whether he gave a blowjob or Raphael fucked his mouth. He tried to relax and take as much of the tall turtle's manhood in as possible.

Part of him was filled with self-loath for whoring himself out for some affection. What had Donnie said when Mikey had dated Mondo?

_“Don’t make yourself vulnerable with emotional investment without being sure of the others willingness to grant the same.”_

Complicated wording for an impossible task. There was no pop-up window saying “You are about to approach Hamato Raphael. How much emotion do you want to invest?” Obviously that was a background process Mikey had no control over. It had run automatically and next time he had checked he was head over heels for the courageous, strong, temperamental and sexy turtle. And now he was on his knees sucking the red-banded ninja's cock, not minding at all. Because just like last night he pushed every mid- or long-term thought far away. He was in the moment with Raphael, making sure the hothead would appreciate his company and not send him away.

*

Donatello felt his face heat up at Leonardo’s words and the taller turtle’s smug reaction to this effect did not help fight it. Thinking about it, Don had never got a compliment like that except from April or Mikey. Sure when Mikey had dragged him into that greasy mutant bar he liked so much, (both of his siblings were only allowed there because they had sworn to never drink anything there that was not served in a closed bottle!), Donnie had been complimented on his looks. But these had been painfully transparent attempts to have sex with him which in a way made them sincere but nothing the genius was impressed by. Stockman had praised his skills and intellect on many occasions but Don was aware that to this man people were assets and praising another scientist’s brains to Stockman was like commending a computer’s processor. Leonardo’s compliment had been genuine, not aimed at a superficial trait and without selfish ulterior motives. Admittedly, that had caught Donatello off guard.

Still a little flustered he nonetheless nodded at Leonardo’s suggestion to start the lesson. He followed the ninja’s instruction and positioned himself on the mat. Unsure what to do he sat cross-legged because Mikey had told him that he did that during his lessons. Apparently noticing his hesitation, Leonardo explained:

“For this technique the position is not crucial. Of course for a beginner it is recommended to choose one that supports a high concentration, but on the long run you are supposed to defend yourself against intrusions to your mind in any situation and position.”

„What would be a beginner’s position?“ Don asked with a hint of humor.

“A comfortable one.” Leonardo smiled.

Donatello decided to stay in the easy cross-legged pose while his new teacher took a lotus position.

“Alright.” The turtle in blue said. “I am not a master like my father yet but I think I can teach you some basics. But one pragmatic question first: Your siblings and lately my brother, too, called you Don or Donnie. Would you allow me that, too? During a lesson or if we should fight together again, a short form could come in handy.”

“Of course.” Donatello nodded.

“Thank you! You can call me ‘Leo’ if you like.” The ninja said. “Are you ready?”

“To call you Leo?”

“Funny. To practice defending your mind against intruders, of course.”

“As ready as I can be, I guess.” Don shrugged. What did the leader expect? So far the thief had only used Ninjutsu as a way to defend himself in a physical altercation. He knew close to nothing about the spiritual techniques. Even his little brother’s astonishing talent to sense magic he had only explored as far as it was needed to make use of it in their “profession” – something he regretted, knowing now that this gift could turn into a curse in certain situations and endanger Michelangelo.

“Okay.” Leonardo straightened his back. “Close your eyes and focus. I will use a specific technique now to enter your mind. You will try to detect me, find me and push me out.”

Donatello tensed at these words which went not unnoticed by the other turtle.

“I am not a demon.” The leader said with a reassuring smile.

“Isn’t that what a demon would say?” Don tried to hide his nervousness behind dry humor. “I mean, if he made the effort to disguise himself as a mutant turtle he wouldn’t give himself away so easily, right?”

“Maybe.” Leo chuckled. “But he couldn’t enter our lair and your brother would sense his presence.”

“Right.” The turtle in purple said and then he sighed: “I am sorry. I...I guess know I _am_ stalling. When Mikey strolls around in my room, it makes me so nervous that I can hardly bare it. The mere thought of someone being in my mind, is just terrifying.”

Without noticing Donatello had started to gesture wildly with his right hand. His eyes widened in surprise when Leonardo caught it swiftly and gave a reassuring squeeze.

“I will not invade your privacy, Don. I swear!” He said adamantly. “We are doing this so you can defend yourself against people or creatures who would enter your thought with ill will, okay? The method I will use only will show me your general current mood and gives me some hints on your personality. It basically replaces a first conversation when you try to get to know someone.”

“That’s all?”

“I won’t lie. It can be used to go deeper, but I won’t!” Leonardo promised. “You can trust me.”

“I do.” Donatello said, once more surprised how easy these words left his lips and how true they were.

“Okay!” Smiling the turtle in blue let go of the hand Don without noticing had relaxed into his and added: “One more thing: You probably won’t be able to push me out. Don’t be discouraged. That is not the main goal. I just want you to get a feeling for it, alright?”

“Alright.”

Leo got back in position, closing his eyes. The genius after a moment did the same and waited.

Unsure how to proceed now, he tried to do what Mikey had told him. He focused on his breathing and tried to relax. For a while nothing seemed to happen and he began to wonder if Leonardo had already started the lesson without him noticing an intrusion. But then he felt a strange tingling like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was not painful, not even unpleasant, but definitely foreign. The closest comparison was a small spider crawling along his skin (except it crawled along his thoughts), in itself not threatening or dangerous but unnerving as long as the spider’s nature was unknown. His rational mind helpless in the face of the strange experience, he uncharacteristically acted on instinct instead of knowledge and shifted his focus towards the unknown sensation.  It took some effort to actually turn will and determination into movement. A few failed attempts taught him that there were similarities between actions on the physical plane and this place, but a few differences as well. Unconsciously he had tried to move his body to catch the source of the weird feeling. But that had only led to a lack in focus and he almost lost the sensation. But finally he managed to detach the movement of his thoughts from those of his body. He used the tingling feeling as a beacon, moving closer and closer and instead of growing more fearful with every second, he relaxed more. It was like approaching a shady figure in the night and recognizing a familiar face when getting close enough. He followed the tingling and started to feel less anxious when the foreign feeling slowly faded. A feeling of warmth and safety washed over him as he reached the origin of the sensation. Instead of the indifferent tingling he now felt confidence, honesty and integrity pulsating from it. Even without his sense of sight and hearing he recognized Leonardo as the source. All the ninja’s admittedly admirable qualities were translated into feelings that quickly surrounded him. Nervousness, fear and insecurity faded away. Donatello felt safe and sound. Protected. Warm. It was amazing since back in his mind he knew that nothing had changed outside this plane, that the world was still the same dangerous place as before. Pondering that, he suddenly felt like he had forgotten something. Wait! There was something he was supposed to do. Right! Push him out! Regarding the enjoyable effect his presence had, it appeared to him as an absurd concept. But nevertheless, he tried. Again he moved closer, now trying to be forceful. It worked surprisingly well to increase the power behind his spiritual movement. Encouraged he rushed against Leonardo’s presence in his mind. Immediately he felt himself be pushed back which was a strange sensation since it was his own psyche he was pushed into. It was like stumbling through his thoughts like through a chaotic library. He collected himself and tried again. The result was the same, as it was at two further attempts. His next try was met with an amount of force Don did not expect and with a gasp he snapped out of his meditation.

*

Leonardo had to admit that for someone without any experience Donatello had impressive mental walls. In all modesty, the turtle in blue knew that despite his young age he was extraordinary skilled when it came to interacting on the spiritual plane. No master, but definitely a force to be reckoned with. And still, it took him a while to even break through Don’s passive mental defenses. A wall of distrust, not aimed at him personally, but against the whole world, blocked his path towards his destination. Every second he felt the stubbornness and willpower of his target that made his mental movements feel like he was walking knee-deep in a swamp, now and then being thrown off his path by a wave of Don’s determination to stay in control. Leonardo was impressed to say the least. If their opponent was a mortal he would not be worried about Donatello and the safety of his mind at all. But a high demon’s power on the spiritual plane were immense, even compared to Splinter’s.

In the end Leonardo, gathering all his mental powers, reached into the smart turtle’s mind. Once there he witnessed nervousness, but also determination, to his trained perception translated into images within milliseconds. The soothing and calming effect the genius had on him in the physical world was ten times strong here. Leonardo was completely at ease. Don’s mind was a most fascinating place. His intelligence and compassion, his caring nature and his strong will was nothing new to Leo and yet being enwrapped in it was overwhelming. Childlike wonder and wisdom beyond his years, pride and insecurity, courage and fear, beautiful contradictions that made so much sense in Donatello. Pictures, sounds – voices and noises alike, passed by quickly. Like lightning fast fireflies they flicked around to disappear from his sight within seconds. Another factor that would it make harder for someone to invade Don’s thought processes – they were fast.

Only shortly after arriving he felt the telltale signs that he was discovered. Impressive. His father had told him that Michelangelo was very gifted in this field, maybe it ran in the family. It did not take the genius long to track Leo down and after a short hesitation he tried pushing him away. Unsurprisingly Leonardo was stronger and after a few tries, he pushed strong enough to make sure the other turtle would return to the physical plane.

When he opened his eyes, he immediately locked eyes with Don’s. Confusion flickered in the brown orbs, but also curiosity and ambition. Leonardo himself felt a little smug and could not help asking: “Surprised you there, didn’t I?”

But the genius did not react to the light teasing. As soon as he had reoriented himself back in Leonardo’s room, his eyes shone in excitement.

“That was fascinating!” He breathed out and started resuming his experience: “I could see you without seeing you. That does not seem to make much sense, but it is true. I knew it was you as if you stood right in front of me. At first I had problems because I tried moving by… well, moving. But with my limbs not my mind which didn’t work, of course. But at least I had a sense of direction. Which it absurd since we are talking about a place that is not really a place, but a state of consciousness and the concept of ‘direction’ only has worth in connection with...”

“Donatello!” Leonardo interrupted him with a smile.  “Calm down. I still need you relaxed and focused. You seem to be talented but we can agree that you failed to defend yourself against me.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. As I said. It was unlikely that you’d succeed.” The turtle in blue said. “I just wanted you to get a feeling for this. You have to keep in mind that I am not as strong as a demon. Nor as ill-willed. If I had wanted to harm you, I could have chased you down in our own mind after you found me. And locked you there.”

“That does not sound good.” Donatello wore a worried expression, probably pondering the possibilities someone with ill motivations had.

“Please don’t panic.” The leader tried to sooth. “Only a few – mortals or immortals – have this skill and currently you are not on the radar on any of these. And here in the lair you are safe anyway. My father and an old friend of his have verified that several times.”

“But I cannot hide in here forever, right?”

“You won’t have, too!” Leo promised. “You have an incredible mind. Even without trying you gave me a hard time, intruding your thoughts.”

“But once you were in, I could not push you out.” The olive-colored turtle sighed. “I wasn’t even close.”

“That’s true. But as I said, that was not the main goal.” The ninja reminded. “The most important thing is to detect the intruder. Because then you can do something, that you are very good at.”

“Like?”

“Confuse him. Deceive him.” Leonardo said. “We will establish a security system so to speak. Whenever you sense someone intruding your mind, you conjure up something to put between them and your thoughts. We practice that on a regular basis until it is an automatic response to intrusion. Then, even in your sleep this protection will be activated.”

“That sounds great.” Don said with doubt in his voice. “But what do I conjure up?”

“A picture, a song, maybe just the memory of a tactile sensation.” The leader listed. “Whatever is powerful enough for you, will be powerful enough to protect the rest of your mind.”

“I have no idea what I could use.”

“My father for example can – with in a second’s fracture – summon the image of a huge wave that comes crushing towards the intruder. I built up a wall of flames, creating the illusion of being burnt for someone trying to enter my thoughts.” Leonardo offered as examples. “Something like that.”

“Alright.”

Both turtles went back into position and once more Leonardo entered Donatello’s nimble mind. Again the genius discovered the ninja fast. Leonardo withstood Don’s attempts to push him away. Soon indeed a picture of a huge wave appeared in the thief’s mind but the image was too weak and proved to be no real challenge for Leo. The same was true for the wall of fire the genius presented. Both did not seem real enough. Leonardo ended the trance and pulled Donatello with him.

“Sorry.” The turtle in purple said.

“It was not bad for the first try.” Leonardo assured him. “But the wave and the flames were just examples. They are not necessarily for you. Try to find your own protection.”

For a moment Donatello furrowed his eye ridges. Then he pressed his lips together in determination and nodded.

“Okay!” He spoke firmly. “Let’s try again.”

Once more they met on the spiritual plane very fast. Leonardo pressed against Donatello’s attempts to defend himself. He was starting to believe the genius would fail again when suddenly he started seeing weird signs before his mind’s eye. It took him a few seconds to realize that it were mathematical formulas or computer codes that were rushing in front of him. They were moving fast, flicking from side to side or rolling up and down. Trying to ignore them, caused them to move faster and distract him. Trying to understand them was impossible. And while he was desperately trying to deal with this, he lost his focus and snapped out of his trance.

Gasping he collected himself and saw a very pleased looking olive-skinned turtle sitting opposite of him.

“Surprised you there, didn’t I?” Donatello repeated his own teasing.

“You did.” Leo admitted with a smile. “That was very good.”

“But it took long, right?” Donatello’s face fell. “An ill-willed spirit could have already done some damage.”

“Maybe.” The turtle in blue answered truthfully. “But that’s why we are practicing. You have a knack for this. Be optimistic.”

“Well, I grew to be 21 without someone locking me in my own mind.” The genius joked halfheartedly. “But now that I know of the possibility, it is quite unnerving. But you’ll help me, right?”

Leonardo gulped as the chocolate colored eye’s trustful gaze met him at those last words. How was it possible to see the golden sprinkles in them even in the candles’ dim light?

 _“Focus!”_ He told himself. _“That is Donatello O’Neil, thief, burglar, cyber-criminal. Yes, he is way nicer than you would have thought. Yes, he is very pleasant to be around. Yes, on a higher level he has a respectable set of values. Yes, he has an entertaining sense of humor. Yes, he has a beautiful pair of eyes and a very cute tail… Damn.”_

“Leonardo?” Donatello’s concerned voice ripped him out of his thoughts.

“What? Yes!” He said quickly. “Of course, I’ll help you. But I think for now, we should stop. You need to rest and… Do you hear that?”

Both turtles went quiet and listened. Surprised they looked at each other when they heard water rushing. Curiously they left Leonardo’s room and stepped into the dark corridor. Unmistakably the shower was running and the turtle in blue went towards the bathroom to find out who felt the need to clean himself at this ungodly hour. But when he had almost reached the door, he stopped dead, as a long and deep churr resounded from the bathroom walls and shortly after Mikey’s voice half-giggled, half-moaned: “What’s the point of cleaning, if you make me all sticky again?”

“The journey is the destination, honeyball!” Raphael’s deep voice rumbled behind the door and Leo stepped away backwards, only his instincts keeping him from colliding with Donatello.

“To answer your question:” the genius spoke pointedly. “No, I did not hear a thing!”

“Neither did I!” Leonardo nodded in agreement and before turning back to his room, he wished: “Good night, Donatello!”

“Good night, Leonardo. And thanks for the lesson!” Donatello answered politely and left for his bedroom.

Pushing away what he had just heard, Leonardo doused the candles, put away the meditation utensils and went to bed.

 

*

 

The following days went by in what one could call a pleasant calm, if it were not for the impending doom hanging above the city. The two families had come to terms with each other and with each passing moment fell more into a comfortable routine. Not all of them said it but they all enjoyed the shared meals. Amicable conversation, interesting debates or simple friendly bickering almost always arose and it caused a slight ache in Splinter’s heart that this was not going to last forever.

Breakfast however usually passed without April and Donatello since the “nerd faction”, as Raphael called them, often were awake the whole night. Even though they could only wait for Stockman’s signal right now to proceed in their mission, Leatherhead’s laboratory contained enough to hold their interest as well. With or without pressing matters, they were night owls as it appeared. Leatherhead did not complain about the company. After having forgiven the virtual attack on the Utrom’s headquarter, he found especially great delight in Donatello’s company. While Splinter and his sons had always done their very best to give their educated friend enough room to engage in his interests, when it came to giving him the chance to converse about it, they had their limits. Too often Leatherhead would have to put his current thought on hold to explain basics the Hamatos just did not know about. Donatello not only understood Leatherhead, he often contributed valuable ideas and insights of his own. The same was true for April O’Neil but if she was not working on the pressing matter at hand, she was occupied otherwise.

Casey Jones was more than delighted to have found her again. As Splinter was told the young red-headed woman was an old ‘acquaintance’ Casey had been very infatuated with.  He had believed to have lost the chance with her but it seemed that twists of fate had brought her back to him. Not only that, she also did not seem disinclined to deepen their relationship. And the young man really made an effort. Splinter had known Casey since he was a teenage boy and had never seen him so patient and considerate – or so hopelessly nervous. It was quite amusing.

Raphael had formed a more than platonic relationship with the youngest sibling of the other family. Maybe a bit too fast for Splinter’s liking. It was hard for the old rat to read his younger son. He seemed very fond of young Michelangelo but how deep his affection went and – more important – how long it would last, Splinter could not tell. Where Leonardo often was too careful and hesitant in getting close to another person, his passionate younger brother regularly threw himself too fast into a new relationship and – without any bad intention on his part – left scorched earth. Mostly figuratively speaking, except for that one time he had underestimated the deepness of the affection a rather temperamental moloch warrior held for him. This time however nothing went up in flames, neither metaphorically nor literally.

The meditation lessons went very well. Much better than Splinter had dared to hope. Donatello and April made it very hard for an intruder to enter their minds and got better every day in confusing anyone who managed to break through their defenses. Michelangelo, more open and trusting than his siblings, was not as good in protecting himself from intrusion but was faster, better and way more unpredictable in throwing his opponents off. Practicing the defense techniques Splinter had been attacked by horrifying monsters before his mind’s eye but had also found himself stuck in a giant marshmallow that was slowly melting in a pool of hot chocolate. The latter was most likely less scary but most definitely more distracting.

Raphael and Leonardo took it upon themselves to train April, Michelangelo and Donatello in the art of ninjitsu. Casey Jones who was proud of calling himself a member of the Hamato Clan as well, if not by name still by heart, offered to train with April. But Splinter had explained that his ‘unconventional style of fighting’ might interfere with the ‘cementing of the basics’. Leonardo had raised an eye ridge at this rather vague explanation but Casey had bought it.

The O’Neils’ skills were remarkable with regard to the fact that they NOT dedicated their lives to ninjitsu. Especially Michelangelo surprised the Hamatos more than once. Not only was he was fast, nimble and smart. Sometimes it seemed like he anticipated his opponents move a fracture of the second earlier than it was executed. With some dedication and training he might be able to make up for lost time and catch up to Raphael and Leonardo with the level of his skills.

While Michelangelo acted mainly on instinct, Donatello analyzed the situation and the opponents before making his moves. But even though that kept him from getting seriously hurt, it put him in a permanent defensive stance. In his life as a thief where escape was a fight’s main goal this was absolutely sufficient but the fights to come were to win not to flee from.

When it came to April O’Neil, Splinter noticed a peculiar thing. He had let her fight with her magic sword as well as with a common one to observe the differences. With an ordinary weapon she showed great potential, her style being an efficient amalgam of Michelangelo’s intuitive approach and Donatello’s analyzing tactic. However, she was far from being a master of that weapon and while she was fast and smart, her agility was not yet enough to make up for the overall physical strength she lacked compared to the mutants. But with the magic sword she found in the antique shop not only her skill level increased. Her fighting style changed as well. Her attacks were less direct, more feigns and ruses became part of her repertoire. She acted more guardedly but when she found a weakness in the opponent’s defense she attacked fast and almost reckless. To Splinter’s relief the young woman had noticed that herself and seemed confident when she announced to make sure that she would not let the sword take control.

Only his eldest had the old rat sometimes furrow his brows in concern: Leonardo had overcome his animosity towards the O’Neils, especially Donatello. He showed patience for the sometimes flighty and unfocused Michelangelo and held amicable conversations with April. When he interacted with Donatello however, Splinter noticed an insecurity, no, an instability in his son’s behavior. At one moment he was relaxed, joyful and indulging in whatever conversation he had with the purple-masked turtle, only for his posture to become rigid and his face distant in the next. In these moments he appeared like he had forgotten something important but unpleasant that all of a sudden sprang to his mind and demanded his immediate attention. He would then rather abruptly end the exchange and excuse himself. Sometimes the young genius noticed and briefly a tint of confusion flickered over his face, but he always shrugged it off quickly, finding something else to occupy his mind. There seemed to be two hearts beating in Leonardo’s chest. One seeking out Donatello’s company, relishing in his warm and soothing presence, one desperately trying to keep his distance. But of course the proud Hamato heir smiling dismissed his father’s inquiries, insuring him that whenever he seemed distracted, it was only because of the demonic threat. And even though Splinter felt that this was not true, he could not very well argue the point that a High Demon in New York City was a reason for concern and mood swings.

But despite the harmonic mood Splinter could not deny a slight feeling of nervousness. He absolutely trusted Donatello and his siblings. When he had first met the three young people he had sensed a goodness in them that had eased his mind immediately. No harm would come to his family by their doing. At least not on purpose. But that was a burden everybody had to bear: Only so far one could foresee the own action’s consequences. All a good person could do was strive for the best and hope for the same to be the actual outcome.

But while Splinter was convinced that this was absolutely what Donatello was thriving for, he could not say this with the same clarity for Baxter Stockman. The young purple-masked turtle was by no means a fool, not naïve enough to believe in Stockman just wanting to do the right thing. He had baited the human with quite worldly rewards like money, power and fame. And while these certainly were motivations that usually kept a man like Stockman on track, with him one could never be sure what hidden agendas he might have which may or may not interfere with their mutual goal.

He would have liked to accompany his eldest and the young genius to meet Stockman but Leonardo was firmly against it, wanting his father save in the lair. And even though the old rat felt a tad patronized he knew that he must not too often contradict the decisions his heir made. Leonardo was supposed to lead the clan. To an outsider this might have seemed ridiculous since it was only two sons and an old father but for one they all saw Casey Jones and Leatherhead as members of their clan and beside that it was important to provide one member with the authority to make decisions that influenced the clan’s destiny. Splinter had decided for this to be Leonardo and while a friendly advice from his old sensei now and then would be no problem, permanent interference would not only weaken the eldest authority over his brother and Casey Jones (in Leatherhead Splinter saw no problem here), it might also lead to Leonardo questioning himself. So the old master had restricted himself to suggesting that he would try reading Stockman during their talk but had accepted the refusal by his eldest.

All he could do, all the whole clan could do now, was wait.

And they were not the only ones.

 

*

 

The being grew impatient. He was tired of waiting. He… or she… or something else? No, the current vessel was a male, even if quite different from most of the others on this world, so at the moment ‘he’ was appropriate. A fascinating place, this world, indeed. He had seen a lot of worlds. Lots of planets. On most of them only one sentient species lived and ruled. On this one the humans were dominant, but some of the inhabitants, his host and most of his enemies were not. His vessel was a stranger on this world so it was not surprising but the others? In his short time here he had sensed a lot of creatures that were self-aware, sentient and empathic but not human. His vessel had somehow caused this but still kept hidden how. Frustrating and intriguing.

His power grew and when he was no longer dependent on his host’s survival, he would find another and pry the information out of him. The matter at hand was to leave this place soon. He knew his adversaries were out there. He could sense them, but not reach them. They knew about him. A mistake, born out of frustration and impatience. He should have known better than to use his limited powers out in the open, so far from here. But in the end it will not matter. These were not the first warriors to challenge him.

He did not have to chase them. They would come to him. And even though they knew his strength, he knew their weaknesses. No matter how well prepared they might think they were, he would be victorious. Because this tower was his prison but also his fortress, his stronghold, his citadel, prism for his weakened but growing powers. Here reality obeyed him and if they entered, they would never leave. Because here only one of them had to fall to drag the others down. And when they were out of the way, this world would be his.

But there was still the other one. The one that called from another world, demanding obedience of him and his brethren. A voice so sweet and yet so harsh. He wanted to obey and to revolt. He knew the voice and then again, he had never heard it. A problem for another day, but that day would come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience. Shit falls in chapter 13 which really is a coincidence. ;)


	13. Gathering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Life happened. ;)

_“I have to say that I am hurt, Leonardo. My word is not enough?”_

_“If that’s a joke, it’s not funny, Bishop. In case this is a serious question: No, of course it is not.”_

_“Why in the living hell would I let a dangerous mutant run free?”_

_“I might not know a good reason, but then again, I never knew a good reason for a federal agent to kidnap my family. And yet YOU found one.”_

_“I found several, Leonardo. All in favor our planet’s safety. A safety that would be endangered by the likes of Faustus leaving my… care.”_

_“Even though I would agree on that, I know from experience that I should never assume what is going on in your head, Bishop. Who knows what ulterior motive you have?”_

_For a moment there was silence and the dark-haired man on the computer screen made no move. His posture did not change and any chance to read his emotions was taken by the dark glasses hiding his eyes. Raphael’s finger dug painfully into his own palms. He had promised to let Leonardo do the talking but Bishop’s behavior made him want to step in front of the screen and hurl insults at him. Gathering all his self-control, the turtle in red managed to keep calm. He stayed out of side, leaning against the wall while Leonardo kept eye contact with the agent, holding his ground._

_“If you insist!” Bishop finally said and for a moment turned his head away._

_He gave a curt nod, most likely to someone standing outside the camera’s range, and the spotless white wall behind the agent started to slide sideways, revealing a high-tech sickroom with several machines running, monitoring, beeping. All wires and cables lead to the room’s heart where – on a hospital cot – lay Faustus, unconscious, pale, breathing shallow. Unceremoniously Bishop stepped next to him to rip away the white blanket and with it the mutant jackal’s last shred of dignity. The once huge, muscular body was thin, his skin hanging loosely around the bony limps, saliva leaking from his maw’s corner and the fur ripped at several spots by different kinds of marks._

_“If I may draw your attention to the decay of his muscles,” Bishop said coldly. “You will agree that he is in no condition to run around New York City, let alone pick up a fight with your temperamental brother.”_

_Raphael saw a slight shift in Leonardo’s facial expression. But it was only visible to him, for someone who did not know the turtle in blue as well as his brother he appeared unfazed. The Hamato heir was not willing to let the agent see his discomfort at the state of his enemy and asked calmly: “What happened?”_

_“Oh, I could not let the opportunity pass to test what the mutagen can and can’t do with regard to the improvement of healing processes.” Bishop shrugged and with a cruel glint in his eyes added seconds later: “But you knew that, didn’t you?”_

_Suddenly the screen went blank and like all the other machines in Leatherhead’s laboratory fell silent. Raphael frowned in confusion and cast a questioning look in Leonardo’s direction. But he found that the spot his brother had occupied seconds ago was empty. Turning towards Leatherhead’s workbench, Raphael saw his chair abandoned. Now in panic he pushed himself of the wall and wanted to leave the lab and search the lair for his brother and his friend. But when he whirled around to run to the door his vision was suddenly blocked by a dark figure._

_Bishop, even taller and creepier than he recalled him to be, towered over him, sneering at him with a nasty smirk. Slowly he removed his dark glasses revealing two empty white eyes. His voice much deeper than usually, he spoke: “You knew, Raphael, didn’t you?”_

Breathing heavily Raphael startled awake. Frantically he looked around, tried to orientate himself. He was in his room, in his bed to be precise. Michelangelo snuggled against him and the blanket – again – completely wrapped around the little thief as the turtle in red noticed with a good-natured growl.

Everything was fine. He was in his room which smelled deliciously of sex, the faint and familiar sound of water running soothingly through the pipes and no Bishop was in sight.

Sighing Raphael fell back into his mattress. Maybe he should have listened to Leo and not be present when his older brother talked to Bishop. It was not pleasant at all. Of course, unlike in his dreams, the lab’s tech had not stopped working, Leo and Leatherhead had not disappeared and Bishop had not suddenly manifested in front of him to scare the living daylights out of him. But the rest? Oh, so real. The federal agent had given in and proofed that Faustus had not escaped. He had shown the jackal – or what was left of him – to the Hamatos.

Raphael was not exactly sure why the image haunted him. The injuries on the jackal’s body were unpleasant to look at but Raphael had seen worse, for example on the victim’s Faustus had killed. That could not be it.

Was it possible that after all the mutant jackal had done, Raph somehow pitied him? Was that the reason not only Faustus’ victims but the murderer himself had appeared in his vision summoned by the Demon of Guilt? Because he actually felt guilty for handing that monster to Bishop? Did Leonardo feel the same? Would their mental skills be enough to keep the demon at bay when it tried to use it against them?

Groaning loudly Raphael sat up again. He did not like thinking about his emotions too much. Distraction. He needed distraction.

 

*

 

Giggling Michelangelo woke up. The tender nips and licks at his neck painfully walked the line between arousing and tickling.

“Raphael, I need my beauty sleep.” He admonished playfully, earning himself an appreciative hum from the other turtle.

“From what I see, ya must’ve had plenty of it already.” Raphael whispered in between little kisses along his jawline. “Ya can afford a lil’ interruption.”

“You think flattery will get you what you want?”

“Might’ve crossed ma mind…”

Before Mikey could give another rejoinder, his wrists were seized and pinned beside his head. Within the blink of an eye Raphael was sitting above him, straddling him. His resolve of playing hard to get melted when the brawler gave him that sideway cocky smile of his and leaned down with a predatory glint in his eyes.

Sighing Michelangelo gave in to the kiss that started soft but got deeper with every second. Both turtles were humming in satisfaction as Raphael’s right hand wandered along the smaller turtle’s side. Just as he started to caress the leaf green buttock, a loud knock at the door had them both jump.

“Yo, Raph!” Casey called on the other side of the door. “Leo says ta get ready. It’s time ta kick demon butt!”

Raphael’s let his head fall to Mikey’s chest in frustration and let out a low growl before calling out to Casey.

“Thanks, Case. We’ll be right there.”

After listening to the human’s footsteps reproaching, Mikey started to giggle. Grinning he pointed at the digital clock on the nightstand showing 21:04.

“Maybe you should have checked the time before starting something.” He teased and tried to get up. But Raphael did not budge. The hothead raised his head and the grin returned to his face.

“If yer thinking, I’m gonna go out there – literally – half-cocked, yer mistaking.” He said low voiced. “We just gotta make quick work with it.”

Michelangelo wanted to object. Wanted to point out that sex will drain valuable stamina that is needed for battle. Wanted to say that Leonardo will kill them. Wanted to add that if by a miracle they survived, Casey will never let them live that down.

But he did not.

Instead he moaned obscenely as Raphael’s strong hand, tender but resolute, was wrapped around his member. Desperately, bordering on pathetic, he bucked his hips into the touch. He circled his arms quickly around the taller turtle’s neck and pulled him into a heated kiss.

“Make quick work with it.” He repeated his lover’s words he murmured against the other’s lips.

“That’s what I said.” Came the smug reply.

 

*

 

Raphael’s voice did not sound like he had been asleep and Casey dreaded to think what he might have witnessed if he had decided to barge in as he had originally planned. Intuition had stopped him at the last moment and he was grateful for it. He joined the rest of their merry band in the lair’s center.

He only nodded to Leonardo. The turtle in blue, visibly not happy at Raphael’s absence, rolled his eyes but nodded back, before turning towards the others. The lair’s current inhabitants as well as Kala and Yort were present and everybody looked tense and nervous.

“Alright!” Leonardo’s voice cut through the thick silence. “Until my brother honors us with his presence, let’s get over this: Father, I need you and Michelangelo to cause confusion in the Foot’s lair down by the port. Don’t endanger yourself, but make your presence known and make them nervous. I hope that will lure some of their men away from the headquarters but should at least occupy their communication channels. Leatherhead, Yort, Casey and April are needed at the Channel 6 building. Kala, Donatello, Raphael and myself will infiltrate the Foot Tower.”

Neither April nor Yort were too happy hearing this.

“As a member of the Order my quest is to fight the demon, not stand on a roof.” Yort demanded.

“And I should come with you, too!” April protested as well. “I have one of the rare melee weapons that can hurt the demons.”

“We need to keep the infiltrating group as small as possible.” The leader insisted. “Raphael and I already now the location, I… we need Donatello for the hacking related part and Kala for the magic.”

“But I…”

“April, your weapon is the main reason for you to be at the Channel 6 building.” Leonardo explained. “The new weapons are experimental and – I never thought I’d say this – I need someone to protect Stockman. In case the creatures attack and the new weapons fail…”

“Which they won’t.” Donatello interrupted, slightly irritated.

“…I need someone with an already tested effective weapon to keep Stockman alive.” The turtle in blue finished his sentence, raising his eye ridge at the turtle in purple.

“What about me?” Yort chimed in. “Kala and I are the only available members of the order. I don’t see why…”

“As Leonardo explained: we need her magic. Your muscles? Not so much since Leo and Raph will be there.” Donatello interrupted the panther before Leonardo could. “Not to speak of the demotivating effect you have on the only person skilled enough to track a demon.”

Yort tensed and narrowed his eyes at the genius while Kala smiling and blushing put one of her golden locks behind her ear and gazed at her feet.

“Yes, thank you, Donatello.” Leo said, sounding annoyed all of a sudden. “However, my decision is final. You all agreed that the Hamato clan is in charge of this operation and I lead this clan, so while I appreciate any input, at the end of the day I have to call the shots so to speak.”

Casey half-listened to the following exchange. April was not happy that much was obvious which made him feel slightly guilty. Because he understood that she wanted to follow her older brother into the lion’s den to support and protect him, knowing that the younger had relatively safe job and was in the company of Master Splinter. But Casey could not help to be glad that he got to stay by her side.

No, she did not need him to keep her save. She was not as strong as he was but she was a dexterous fighter. And probably ten times as smart as he was. But still. Maybe it was his inner caveman that wanted to position himself between her and any source of danger. Maybe it was his nobler side that knew that the world would miss someone as capable as her more than a simpleton like him. Whatever it was, he silently prayed that Leonardo would not waver and he did not. And as Donatello took the leader’s side, convincing April that her expertise in technology might be needed on Stockman’s side as well, she caved.

Shortly after April had accepted her part, Raphael and Michelangelo joined them. Leonardo sent his brother an admonishing look but remained silent. Splinter took Mikey aside, probably to tell him what role they would play.

As everybody started to move towards the garage, Donatello stopped Casey and looked at him.

“You stay close to her, will you?” The genius asked.

“I promise.” Casey nodded.

“Of course she does not need you or me to look after her.” Donatello said with an unreadable expression on his face.

“I guess not…”

“But I don’t care!” The turtle in purple continued and stared at Casey with an intense glint in his eyes. “If things go south, I want you to haul her over your shoulder and carry her to safety.”

Casey rose an eyebrow.

“Really? Weren’t you the one to call me a misogynist and a…ehm…”

“Philistine, yes!” Donatello nodded. “Make no mistake. If you tell her what I said, I will absolutely deny it and throw you under the bus.”

It should have been infuriating. But it was not. On first glance Donatello was his usual self-confident self, wearing his eloquence and wits like an impenetrable armor. In his eyes however lay a vulnerability Casey had not seen before. The former vigilante had no siblings but he knew what it was like to feel responsible for those he loved. And he knew how it felt to be unable to act on it. Donatello had no choice at the moment. To keep his siblings save on the long run, he had to leave them on their own for now. So Casey decided to let the genius’ hypocrisy slide for now.

“She is save with me!” He reassured the purple-masked turtle. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Donatello nodded.

“Thanks, Jones.” He said simply and started walking towards the garage.

 

*

 

Karai strained against her chains. She was a ninja! She should be able to free herself. But her body was weakened and – even worse – so was her mind. That… thing had its tentacles dug deep in her thoughts. It had caught her by surprise due to the familiar shape it had taken. And now it seemed to be everywhere inside her, seemed to know everything about her and whenever she tried to gather her mental strength to fight, it would know and subdue her again. And it was so real. It did not only feel real, it was. The bruises on her arms, her shoulders and along her thighs were evidence and reminder of that.

Nevertheless she attempted once more to escape. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and focused on her inner core. She knew a technique to get rid of intruders.

Don’t.

Don’t think about the technique.

Just use it.

Don’t think about it, lest you think of him.

Him who taught you.

Too late.

Desperately Karai tried to cling to the strength she had collected, tried to shape it into a ball of energy but the surge of regret, pain and guilt that rushed through her had it shattering before her mind’s eye within a millisecond. Her eyes snapped open. A shadow fell over her and a man’s voice, familiar but tainted by an uncharacteristic cruelty rang through the room.

“What a naughty girl. Using MY tricks? After you betrayed me?” He spoke. “The audacity!”

She pressed her eyelids together, knowing full well that she could not force herself to stop panicking and focus again. Soon, too soon she felt two strong hands on her knees and hot breath next to her cheek. Opening her eyes again, she stared into the icy blue of his.

“Will you ever learn, Karai?” He asked. “Will you ever learn?”

 

*

 

Baxter Stockman prided himself to be an intelligent man. He also knew that intellect alone was worth less than lint if not paired with certain other qualities. Some would say compassion, empathy and kindness were formidable partners for intelligence. And Baxter would not deny that – if one wanted to be a push-over that is trampled on during life and announced a saint after death. Wanting more out of his existence than that, Baxter had always resorted to combine his brains with diligence, relentlessness, ruthlessness, patience and caution. It sure helped, too, that he was well-spoken and – despite being not a people-person – quite good at reading others.

Usually not helpful was altruism. It did no one any good to care too much for others without finding something for themselves in it. (“Egoism is the true altruism, boy. If all people take care of themselves, everybody is taken care of.” His father had told him, but Baxter was sure the old fool had read that somewhere, he had not been very creative.) So it was rather atypical for him to do charity. And still he gave quite a discount to the NYPD when handing out the weapons his company had designed after Donatello’s plans. Sure, he still made a lot of money with this deal, but he knew that charging more for producing such a sophisticated device in such a short amount of time would not have been inappropriate. But Baxter also knew that the mayor was a horrible cheap and he would not put it past the politician to just order less weapons and only arm every second policeman with one. And Baxter did not want that.

Because there was another quality Baxter prided himself in: reason. A lot of people might say that being reasonable was connected to being smart or intelligent, but Stockman had seen a lot of brilliant minds walking down the path of self-destruction because they had been unable to put aside pride, vanity, grudge or simple pettiness, not even for the sake of self-preservation.

Baxter was not like that. So he knew that if those monsters invading the city were not stopped, all his money and influence could not get him a safe place on this world. And despite all his cynicism he was rather fond of Earth. It was hard to find a decent Hot Dog outside of New York. He dreaded to think what it would be like in space.

So now he found himself on top of the Channel 6 building, supervising his employees and a couple of allies setting up a rather large version of the weapon Donatello had designed, aiming it at the Foot Tower. A computer and a communication relay were placed in a small tent next to the signal tower. A couple of years ago the large anthropomorphic alligator making the final adjustments would have struck him as odd but this was New York after all.

It was quite ironic that he just accepted the huge mutant in the lab coat with the tiny glasses on the huge snout, the giant rat and the human-like talking turtle with the orange ninja mask as normal while the dark haired human in the suit made his neck’s hair stand as straight as a bunch of soldiers facing a general. Baxter was glad that after using his federal authority to claim the building for a few hours, the man, Agent Bishop, had positioned some of his men and women but then had left for “important matters”.

After a while the rat and Michelangelo left as well. All part of the plan, Stockman assumed and all that was left was waiting for Leonardo‘s signal. If their strategy worked out the experimental weapon would kill enough of the entities that protected the tower to create an opening in the demonic force field while at the same time a short impulse accompanying the lightstream would interrupt the signal of the Foot tower’s usual security system in the same area.

Donatello was supposed to accompany the Hamatos. Stockman was curious how this alliance came to be. He had always found it slightly amusing that the two duos of mutant turtles he knew were so different from each other. Now he could not stop wondering how all of a sudden they found each other and why the hell they decided to team up. He also did not understand why Donatello had to go into the Foot headquarters with Leonardo and Raphael. Or why that bothered him. But he could not help an uneasy feeling at the thought.

Baxter was a man of reason but that did not mean that his instincts could not be trusted.

 

*

 

Maybe it was Splinter’s calming hand on his shoulders, maybe it was the knowledge that his friends needed him to stay calm. But somehow Leatherhead managed to fight the urge to rip Bishop apart. The agent barely talked to them. A short greeting, adorned with an arrogant smirk was all the acknowledgement Splinter and Leatherhead were graced with. Bishop’s gaze lingered on April and Michelangelo for a moment but soon he had turned his attention to Stockman to let him know that the building was his for the night and he should not be bothered. He positioned some of his agents to make sure of it before leaving.

That left them with Stockman. Leatherhead had no love for the man of course but at least he never tried to experiment on him. Sure, he saw mutants as tools and means to an end, but he saw everyone that way so at least he was not discriminating. Cynical thoughts like that were not typical for Leatherhead and somehow he was shocked by himself. But then again, the Hamato clan (which he belonged to) was in a situation where they could not be picky with their allies. And compared to Agent John Bishop, Baxter Stockman was the lesser evil. Too bad they had to rely on both of them.

 

*

 

Slightly nervous April wrung her hands. Their plan put her brother’s life in Agent Bishop’s hands and she did not like that. An hour ago she had not even known the man and now that she did, she did not feel much better about it.

She had witnessed Leatherhead visibly tense upon the man’s arrival and only slightly relax when he had left the scene. Even Splinter was not his usual calm and collected self in the FBI agent’s presence. John Bishop seemed unpleasant company. Not only did he act pretty arrogant and bossy, all members of the Hamato clan were very wary around him as well. She did not know what exactly had happened between them and the man but she had the feeling that there would be no alliance with him if not for his useful position and connections.

Without conscious thought she moved closer to Casey who gave her an encouraging smile and put his arms around her shoulder. Very slowly, probably to give her the chance to avoid it. But she smiled back and allowed his touch and for him to lead her to her to the computer she was supposed to work on. Despite being anchored firmly the tent’s walls fluttered in the wind filling the interior with the noise. A reminder of the realness of the situation.

April took a deep breath while she sat down. She had asked Donnie to trust in her ability to take care of herself. So it was only fair to return the favor. He was with the Hamato brothers and Leonardo had sworn to protect him. Everything would be fine. Right?

 

*

 

Three dark vans stopped in front of the Foot Tower’s main entrance, two men climbing out of each. One of them immediately took the lead, his pace slightly faster as his colleagues, walking in front of them. He did not stop walking towards the large door when the Foot guards told him to, until he stood directly in front of them.    

“Agent John Bishop, FBI!” He said, completely ignoring any word coming out of the guard’s mouth. “We’re investigating the recent… anomalies and we have reasons to believe that Mr. Oroku might be involved. We need to search the premises.”

“I was not informed…” The guard began but Bishop just chuckled.

“Oh, I am so sorry. Did nobody let the suspect’s minions know that they were to hide all evidence of wrong doing?” He sneered. “What a concept!”

While the Foot soldier tried to think of a retort, Bishop spotted to men coming around the building’s corner. He gestured towards Miller and Carter who immediately approached and stopped them.

“Wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally warn any criminals, would we.” Bishop smirked while casually typing on his phone. “Now, I you would let me in?”

“I have strict orders not to let anyone…”

“By the authority of the government I order you to let me in!” The agent gave back while he put away his phone and pointed to the Tower. “Are you saying there is someone of higher authority in there? Then I just HAVE to meet them.”

 

*

 

Leonardo and his companions lurked in the bushes near the wall surrounding the Foot Tower. Donatello’s eyes were focused on the weapon he adjusted for Raphael while Kala stared at the golden artifact steadily blinking in her hand.

“It won’t be easy to calm that thing down and direct it at a specific source.” She said quietly. “Maybe we should have brought Michelange…”

“No!” Raphael and Donatello hissed at the same time, both a protective vibe in their voices. For a moment their eyes met and both smiled lightly.

“He is not ready yet, Splinter says.” The turtle in red murmured. “And you said you can manage with that thingy.”

“I didn’t say, I couldn’t,” Kala pouted. “Just that it won’t be easy.”

“Just focus!” Leonardo encouraged her. “I believe in you.”

The mage blushed with a light smile and put all her attention to the artifact in her hands. Convinced she would be able to fulfill her task, he turned to Donatello who just handed Raphael his weapon before checking on his own.

“Are you sure the settings are correct?” Leonardo whispered.

“Oh, how would _I_ know?” Donatello hissed back sarcastically. “It’s not that I’m the guy who built this weapon. Oh, wait…”

“Alright, alright.” The turtle in blue rolled his eyes. “Point taken.”

He tensed as his phone’s display lit up. Quickly he opened the message and read:

_“Guards engaged.”_

“Bishop is distracting the Foot outside.” Leonardo whispered. “I’ll signal Stockman.”

He sent his message and then started staring at Don expectantly who for his part stared at his small tablets screen. Without special glasses or cameras they could not see the force fields protecting the tower but Donatello was convinced that as soon as the protection was interrupted he would be able to view and hack the security system.

“I see it.” The genius announced only seconds after Leonardo had contacted Stockman. “They did it. Follow me.”

And of course they did. They were left with no other choice but since Leonardo had come to trust Donatello and his skills, he was sure the smart turtle would find the breach in the force fields without actually seeing it and would be able to hack the system. As silent as possible they rushed towards the tower’s backside. Soon Donatello started typing on his tablet. Finally he nodded and pointed at a window on the ground floor.

“We can go in here.” He said.

Leonardo immediately got to work and – well practiced with the glass cutter – in no time had the window open and they could slip in. Orientating fast Leonardo recognized Foot banners at the walls of the large room they had arrived in. But not as large and pompous as in the rooms on the higher level. Here more for recognition and less a demonstration of power. Maybe they greeted potential members here who had yet to learn about the true nature of the Foot or were never to learn about it at all.

“The alarm is disabled. Aaaand… your phones should now work as security card substitutes.” Donatello whispered. “Are those doors locked? We can test it right here.”

The genius gestured at the big double-leaf door that lead out of the room and in fact had a security panel installed next to them. Slowly and silently Leonardo made his way to the exit, trying to peer through the narrow slit between the leaves. He did not see much but the area behind it was dimly lit and he heard footsteps in the distance. Judging from their rhythm who ever walked there was patrolling. Most likely only on the corridor but they could not be sure.

“Do you have the powder ready, Raph?” Leo asked. “We might get company we need to put to sleep.”

“Course.” Raphael only gruffed, lifting his hand, wiggling it lightly to sow off the item in his hand.

“Good!” The turtle in blue only answered before turning to the mage in his group: “Kala? How’s the… ehm… magic going?”

“I… I think I got it.” She said with a strained expression, eyes focused on the artifact in her hand. “It’s not the epitome of ‘stable’ but I am sure we are in the right place and with a few adjustments now and then I should be able to track the demonic source. It seems to be below us. How many underground levels does this Tower have?”

Leonardo chuckled without humor.

“At a guess?” He asked back. “Way more than the building plans let on or the buildings authority approved of.”

“Well, at least the overall direction is clear.” Donatello said. “Downwards it is.”

 

*

 

April received a message from Donnie only two minutes after Leatherhead, Stockman and herself had operated the weapon. She gave the two males a thumbs up which both registered with a nod and a smile. Casey caught her gesture, too.

“All good then?” He asked.

“Well, your friends and my brother are still in the potential lair of a powerful demon so ‘good’ may not be the appropriate term here.” She answered with black humor. “But if you’re asking whether things are going according to plan: yes, they are.”

“At least we’re…” Casey started but was interrupted by Stockman.

“What the hell?” The man called out while staring down the Channel 6 building.

April, Casey and Leatherhead rushed to his side and followed his gaze to the streets below. In front of the building a huge dark puddle had formed, waving lightly. The worst part though were the snake-like black tentacles that emerged from the dark surface and started emerging along the skyscraper.

“That can’t be good.” April said.

 

*

 

“Well, Michelangelo.” Splinter said softly. “I am sure in your usual occupation the art of distraction and confusion is something you make use of regularly.”

Mikey smiled at Master Splinter’s interesting way of wording things and the fondness in his voice. The old rat and he were sat on a skyscraper’s roof opposite of a seemingly insignificant two-store house which – according to Leonardo – was a Foot side quarter.

“It’s not unheard of.” The turtle in orange grinned.

Michelangelo used his grappling hook to reach the target building and Splinter followed suit. They would simply go for cutting the main power and escape. The Foot might be able to fix that soon but of course they would not be able to simply ignore the fact that someone broke in and blacked them out. It would keep them and their lines to their main quarter busy for the night.

Nobody stopped them when they slipped through a window on the upper level. The room they arrived in was empty. Both mutants listened closely but could hear nothing. Not a soul seemed to be here, at least on this level. Then again, if this was a ninja clan’s quarter, extensive noise was not to be expected. Carefully they approached the slightly ajar wooden door to reach the corridor. At first Mikey’s face lit up as he saw that they were close to the staircase that seemed to lead straight down to the basement. But then he was gripped by a sense of dread and desperately clutched at the door frame, gasping for air.

“What is it, Michelangelo?” Splinter was by his side within an eye’s lash, a concerned look on his face.

“I don’t know, I… Something’s wrong…”

He had barely finished speaking these words as the ground began to shake and a loud rumble sounded through the building. The staircase was suddenly ripped away by a dark whirl of energy, the wooden material splintering. And from somewhere deep in the whirl a low growl was audible.

“That can’t be good.” Michelangelo said.

 

*

 

Two unconscious Foot guards later (neatly tied up and gagged in a closet), Leonardo and his comrades reached the staircase. Going that way held a certain risk but in case they encountered someone here, they had a chance to hide. Being caught in an elevator left no option but a confrontation. But without any incidents they made it to the stair’s lower end.

Up until now Leonardo was inclined to be grateful for the good fortune to come so far without significant effort but reaching the basement, he could not help but frown in confusion and concern. He was aware of course that the large room in front of him was only part of the Foot tower’s lower level and that this place, holding nothing but spare parts for the fleet, was not the building’s most sensitive area. But still it felt odd that no measures had been taken, not a single guard, no visible alarm triggers (or invisible as Donatello confirmed after checking the security system he had hacked). He raised his hands to signal his comrades to be vigilant. After a while he turned to Kala.

“Are we still on the right track?” He asked her.

“I believe so.” She nodded. “It’s directly below us though. I guess you were right about the building.”

“Alright.” Leonardo spoke quietly. “The source being directly below us does not mean that we can enter its lair directly but we should check this area before venturing deeper. Check for a secret door, a hidden elevator behind the walls and…”

“I think it’s this wall.” Donatello suddenly interrupted, pointing in the direction of a metal shelf.

The others joined him and soon Leonardo saw what the genius had spotted. From under the shelf thin black tendrils of an unpleasantly familiar substance slithered along the floor.

“Alright.” The turtle in blue spoke quietly while gently maneuvering Donatello away from the wall. “Looks like this is our path but we need to be caref…”

Once more Leonardo was interrupted. The wall behind the shelf began to shake and rumble. The stone cracked.

“Take cover!” The leader called out, pulling Don with him and seeing Raphael grab Kala’s arm.

Hidden behind a metal table Leo saw the wall shake and crumble and suddenly burst apart with a loud cracking noise. The pieces flew across the room, knocking the metal shelf over in the process.

For a second there was an eerie silence.

Nothing.

But then like a geyser a huge wave of thick black liquid rushed out of the newly made hole in the wall. With a sickening noise it landed on the cold basement floor forming a large puddle. It started bubbling immediately. Slowly but steadily the mass rose, taking a familiar form.

“That can’t be good.” Donatello said.

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally: Chapter 13  
> Tell me what you think.


	14. Night of the tentacle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry for the stupid reference in the chapter's title. I'm a nerd, sue me. :D

The black tentacles moved with incredible speed. April, priding herself of being quick-minded, barely had time to think “How did it find us?”, before three thick dark vines had reached the building’s top and shot over the parapet and lounged at them. She felt herself being pushed to the ground, painfully, but at least out of the creatures reach for a few seconds. She could not be sure whether it was Stockman or Casey who had pushed her (The angle speaking for the former, character traits for the latter) but it did not really matter at the moment because right now both men were hit by one of the otherworldly appendages and thrown across the roof. Luckily they crashed into the tent, doing serious damage to the equipment, but at least not falling from the roof. April as quickly as she could muster got on her feet to rush to them but before she could another tentacle reached the roof and sprang towards the two men who were lying exposed in the tent’s remains. Without knowing what she would do if she reached them in time, April ran towards them. The tip of the huge tentacle was almost in touching distance to Casey’s leg when suddenly a roar sounded and the thick appendage was incased in two muscular arm with sharply clawed hands. Leatherhead clung to the slick limb with determination throwing it off its harmful course. But even the huge mutant alligator would not be able to keep this up forever and he held only one of the tentacles in check.

April’s eyes fell on the destroyed tent again. Baxter held his head in confusion for a second but regained his composure soon and in an uncharacteristically agitated voice yelled at his two employees who had helped setup the equipment: “Run, you idiots! And get those agents up here!”

The man and the woman were ripped out of their shocked stupor by their bosses’ voice and ran towards the door.

Meanwhile, Casey groaned and struggled to get on his feet. He failed and sank back to his knees. There was no time April could give him to reorientate himself and so she just pointed at the remains of her workspace and called: “Casey, my sword!”

To his credit, he reacted fast. Immediately he spotted her backpack and lunged at it. He quickly opened it, grabbed the weapon and wanted to push it towards her. Something strange happened.

Despite the most unfortunate angle, the wildly tossing tentacles, her sweaty hands and Casey’s at the moment limited strength, the sword not only slid elegantly and fast far enough, it also found April’s hand steady and safe. The handle felt warm against her palm and the blade was glowing. Not faintly this time but for everyone (who was not currently busy crouching or running towards the roof door) to see.

And not a moment too soon. Whether the tossing limbs actually could sense that Casey performed an action against them or it was just a mere coincidence, was anyone’s guess, but two of them suddenly ceased to randomly toss across the roof and charged towards the young man. Currently in a crouching position and in pain, he was in no condition to defend himself and could do nothing but scramble backwards.

Later April would not be able to recall how she had managed to cross the distance so fast but she most certainly would never forget how being so close to the tentacles had felt. From close by the surface was not as smooth and shiny as it seemed at first. The black mass that formed the limbs was slimy and muddy, thick veins ran along the appendages that pulsated grossly with every movement. The stench entering April’s nostrils was closest to the corpse of Edward Warren, the poor guy Mikey and she had found rotting in his own secret room, than she had ever before experienced.

But neither could she afford nor was she willing to let the uncanny sensations slow her down. Without hesitation she struck against the attackers and her blade effectively ran through the dark mass. The upper part fell off and immediately turned to black slime splattering at her feet before disappearing. The rest remained intact, even started tossing more violently, but eventually retreated over the roof’s rim and disappeared from sight. Obviously her opponents were not as mindless as a wildly flinging limb rooting in a puddle of goo should be, because the things had identified her as the main threat and came rushing towards her.

Encouraged by her first success and something she could not quite place she was able to push away any panic that she might have felt before. Elegantly she evaded two thick vines lunging at her upper body and immediately after she jumped over the third that came for her legs. While still being detached from the ground she twisted her arm to position her sword and it made a clean cut through the tentacle beneath her when she came down. Like the first one it slithered back. Despite herself April could not help a smug grin appearing on her face. It was highly inappropriate in a situation like this and she forced herself to drop it while she spun around effortlessly driving her blade through the two remaining vines.

Breathing heavily she watched them retreat. She turned around when she heard a groan behind her. Casey was on his feet again and helping Stockman up. When she skimmed over the destroyed equipment the roof door sprang open and three of Bishop’s agents came running through, one of them carrying one of the special weapons.

“Oh great! NOW you’re here!” April exclaimed and added sarcastically: “Thank you so much but I got this under contr…”

She stopped talking and her eyes went wide as five more black tentacles shot up from below. With a curse she jumped back when the first one hit the ground next to her.

Reading her sword again, she called out to the agents: “Let me rephrase that…”

 

*

 

Michelangelo was frozen in place as the stairwell disappeared before his eyes. Or rather as it was ripped into pieces and sucked in a whirling void of blackness while thick black vines slithered up towards him and Splinter. Mikey was nothing if not quick and so he was able to pull up the defenses Splinter had issued him with in their meditation lessons. The darkness and cold that crept into his mind was acknowledged but not feared. With determination and the help of a tint of annoyance he willed the intruding dread away, letting it be washed out of his thoughts by a river made of liquid silver. He still felt that the otherworldly creature was there but there was no longer a name to put on the feeling. It was just there.

It was merely a second it cost him but still it was thanks to Splinter who pulled him away that the fastest of the tentacles did not hit him.

“A trap!” The Sensei hissed and dragged the turtle towards the room they had come from. “We need to…”

His last sentence was cut short because Mikey was roughly pulled to the ground by a slimy tentacle that slung itself around his ankle.

“Michelangelo!” He called out. Desperately he clung to the young thief with his left hand while trying to fight off the vine with the stick in his right.

Mikey looked into the rat’s dark eyes and saw the fear of the usually fearless Ninja master. And it made sense. With a second tentacle slinging around his other leg, there was no way Splinter would be able to free him.

“It’s okay, Sensei.” He spoke loudly to overcome the noise. “Run!”

“Michelangelo, no…!”

But Mikey roughly yanked his hand free from his teacher’s grip. Painfully he was dragged along the splintering floor towards the black center of the destructive phenomenon. His chin hit the rim before the thick vine pulled him down and darkness engulfed him.

 

*

 

“Will you die already?” Raphael growled from behind him.

Leonardo, too, was fed up. Despite being no expert with laser guns Raphael had hit the dark fiend in the chest three times now and Leonardo’s magic katana caused wounds that should have killed the creature a dozen times by now. And judging from the light appearing every time Kala cast a spell against it, her magic was exactly what the demon was allergic to. In fact, as far as one could properly read the behavior of a barely human-shaped blob of dark goo, it seemed to be in pain every time it got hit by one of them.

“We need to get past it!” Don called from his hiding spot.

“That’s why we try to kill it, brainiac!” Raph grumbled sarcastically.

“No! We need to get past it _to_ kill it!”

“What?”

“Look at these vines!” Donatello used his staff to point at the three thick vines emerging from the creature’s body leading to somewhere behind the crack in the wall. “They pulsate every time it gets wounded!”

Leonardo furrowed his eye ridges in concentration. He waited for Kala to throw another lightning bolt at the opponent. She was getting weaker and slower and the creature managed to evade the stream of light. But it was his opportunity to strike. Focused on the spell the fiend did not see Leonardo coming and he was able to drive his katana deep into the dark body.

Immediately he jumped back, ignoring the tossing enemy as best as he could, to focus on the thick dark tendrils. Donatello was right, a surge of dark energy seemed to rush through them and when it was gone and Leonardo looked back at his opponent, the gaping hole in his chest was closing. At once the turtle in blue rushed at the vines to destroy them. But as soon as he his blade split the surface, the second vine pulsated, immediately healing the first, and the third lifted itself up and slammed against Leonardo’s upper body, sending him flying across the room.

He felt dizzy, three different voices calling his name. Very hard he tried to call out “I’m okay!” to make sure nobody lost focus because of him but all that escaped his lips was a groan.

“Kala! Blind it if you can!” He heard Donatello’s voice. “Raphael! See if you can interrupt the connection with all three vines at once!”

Then Don was by his side, carefully checking for injuries. While he did that, they heard Raphael curse.

“Seems like we need a new plan.” Donatello sighed.

 

*

 

Every breath she took was burning in her lungs. No matter how many vines she sliced into pieces and drove away, they kept coming back. The agent with the light weapon did his best, too, but while one well-placed cut with April’s blade did the trick, he had to land several hits to cause enough pain for the tentacle to retreat.

Not that it mattered on the long run if they just kept coming back. Of course she had had the idea of running down to the streets but after the agents had entered, the door did not budge. She could only guess that more of the black mass blocked it and only hope that Stockman’s employees were safe. No use thinking about that now. She needed an idea how to stop them.

And then something weird happened. She had an idea that was not hers. It couldn’t be but yet it was in her mind and she witnessed it take form. It was crazy and it would probably kill her. She thought it was a horrible idea and at the same time, she found it brilliant.

_It’s the only way. Beggars can’t be choosers._

“Here goes nothing.” April hissed as another black tentacle came rushing towards her. With eased practice she sliced of the tip. But this time she immediately plunged her sword directly into the clean cut, as deep as she could. Tightly she gripped the handle, the only part of the sword that still was visible. For a moment every movement came to a halt. But then the appendage started to toss in what she guessed was pain and pulled away, dragging her along. When she was pulled over the parapet, she slung her legs and her free arm around the vine to get a safer hold. The surface felt weird on her skin, even through her clothes but in this situation the free fall towards New Yorks streets was way scarier. Her red locks fluttered freely when the cold wind rushing through her hair ripped out her pigtail ribbon. The dust of New Yorks air caused her eyes to water and her pace made it hard to breathe. But the panic she should feel at her free fall never came.

Forcing herself to look down was easier than she thought. She saw the vine she clung to disappearing in the large black puddle on the pavement like a huge worm slithering back into its huge worm hole. A tinge of worry crept into her soul when she saw the ground coming closer and it came to her mind that she had not thought of healthy way to deal with the impact. Depending on the puddle’s depth this could turn out to be a problem. But again an uncharacteristic bravado took over.

_It has enough goddamn mass to form dozens of ass long fat tentacles. It will be deep enough._

And it was. Now only a few meters away from the source, she saw that the tentacle did not disappear inside the puddle. It melted away and became part of it. Slowly her ‘ride’ returned into its liquid form and her feet almost touched the puddle. April was expecting a feeling of mud, wet and slimy, and maybe there was but whatever sensations she felt, they all were overshadowed by an immense cold that gripped at her from the moment her body made contact with the black mass. She let go of the small remains of the vine and sank into the darkness.

Barely able to move, her freezing limbs dangling almost useless in the black void, she dared opening her eyes. Unsurprisingly, black was all she saw but at least whatever it was did not hurt her eyes. Aside for the lack of transparency it was like diving. She had to remind herself that diving was nothing she could do for too long without equipment and she tried to will her body to move. As panic threatened to overcome her, she suddenly felt a warmth in her right hand. She turned her gaze and saw the silhouette of her sword glowing in the dark void. Instinctively she placed her left hand around the handle as well and brought the sword close to her body. Pressing the length of the blade against her chest she allowed the welcome heat to spread through her arms, her breast and finally her whole body. The cold disappeared and the pitch black mass surrounding her changed. Instead of the impenetrable blackness she stared into a dark grey. At first she was not sure if that would make a difference. She was running out of air and suffocating in a slightly brighter demonic pool was not much better.

But then she spotted something in the muddy grey only a few steps away from her. It was a weird opaque orb that pulsated in the void. She could not have seen it before but now its inky blackness stood out in the slightly lighter mass. Gathering all her strength she gave a powerful push with her legs, bringing herself closer to the orb. When she moved her arm to draw her sword, the biting cold crept back into her body. But she was running out of time and so she endured it. Fighting against the icy feeling and the exhaustion, she gripped her weapon’s handle tight and drove the blade deep into the black orb in front of her.

At first nothing happened. But suddenly the orb’s pulsating motion started to stutter and the surface began to crack. Beams of light streamed through the fissures, brighter and broader with every second, until eventually April had to close her eyes.

When she finally dared to peek, she was greeted by the sight of the New York streets and the Channel 6 building.

 

*

 

On instinct Michelangelo took a last deep breath before the darkness wrapped around him. His limbs started to freeze as soon as they touched the dark mass the whirl was made of. But it was no longer a whirl. Like in the eye of the storm it was quiet. He looked around but all he saw was blackness. At first he feared that the cold he felt was a sign that his mental defenses were failing him but soon he was sure that it was a pure physical sensation. It was uncomfortable but the cold that had crept along his body from the inside during their first fight against the shadow creatures had definitely set the bar quite high for any future freezing encounters.

The tentacle that had pulled him under had disappeared. Mikey could not be sure but upon entering the dark void he was under the impression it had just melted into the rest of the black goo surrounding him now. Anyway, it was no longer attacking.

So his biggest problem was the lack of oxygen. He could hold his breath pretty long – he was a turtle after all – but not forever.

Fighting the cold he started to make swimming movements since water was the closest comparison he had to the mass he was in at the moment. Disgusting, thick, dirty, muddy, ice cold water. It was hard and exhausting to swim in here but worse was that he did not know where to head to. It was pitch black and being drawn into a magical void of gross dark slime had cost him his orientation and he had no idea of where up and down were anymore.

Later he could not tell how long he had aimlessly struggled in the darkness before he suddenly felt something brush against his shoulders. If possible he would have let out an undignified scream at the sensation but in this situation he could only start tossing around wildly, trying to get away. But then a firm grip on both his upper arms stopped him. Something familiar poked at his mind.

_Splinter?_

_Yes, Michelangelo._ He heard the old rat in his mind as clear as day and yet he knew he was not speaking.

_How…_

_I looked for you. You need to calm down._

_Sure. Why not? Just a small setback. Nothing to…_

_Quiet, child!_

_Sorry._

_I need you to use your talent to find the enemy._

_The enemy is all around us, Sensei._

_Yes and No! There has to be a source. Focus! I know it is overwhelming but you need to see the nuances._

Nuances? Sometimes he really did not know what the old rat was talking about. But nonetheless Michelangelo tried to collect himself. He closed his eyes and focused on the warmth emitting from Splinter. He still was cold but it was better since the Sensei had found him.

He could not breathe therefor breathing techniques were no option so he tried to think of anything calming and soothing. Even in the cold black slime he currently swam in he felt his face heat up when he could not help the memories of his and Raphael’s lovemaking slither their way into his mind.

Oh God! He prayed Splinter did not share this.

Looking on the bright side, he had to admit that recalling certain steady and regular movements had a similar effect to breathing calmly. In addition the feeling of security being with Raphael always gifted him with chased away any fear and he was able to access the spot in his mind that held his gift. He found it. Like a candle flickering, idly scanning for and picking up the demonic presence. Mikey fed it. It grew. The candle became a flame and spread. It spread from the inside of Michelangelo’s mind and like a supernatural radar searched his surroundings. He opened his eyes again and in fact he saw clearer now. Literally. Even though it was still dark, it was no longer impenetrable. He could see through it… Except for one dark spot that still stood out thick and black as ink. It was round and looking closer it pulsated in the void.

_I found it, sensei._

_Lead me there, Michelangelo._

Together they moved towards the object. When they reached it, Splinter removed one arm from Mikey’s biceps and put his hand on the object. For a second the turtle felt a surge of distress from the rat – that probably hurt – but then the calmness emanating from the master was back.

_Help me once more, Michelangelo. Like you did in the alley._

Mikey followed the old master’s spiritual guidance and like the first time a warm feeling of hope emerged from their inner cores and flooded the area. It washed over the black orb in the center of the unholy pool, shuttering it into thousands of tine dark shards.

Protecting his eyes the young turtle felt a shift and the cold disappeared. After a while he risked opening his eyes and looked around. They were still in the Foot’s side quarter. Or better, in its ruins. It was pretty obvious that no Foot soldier would be still in here. If they had known of the trap and were smart, they had left a while ago. If they had been oblivious or stupid, they were dead now. Ironically, being trapped in the dark pool of demonic goo had saved Splinter’s and Michelangelo’s life as the building was destroyed.

“Let’s go back to the Channel 6 building, Michelangelo.” Splinter spoke after catching his breath. „We need to let our available allies know what happened.“

“Alright!” Mikey nodded. “But… ehm…, sensei?”

“Yes?”

“What exactly did you see of what was going on in my mind?”

“Some of it.” The old rat answered and Michelangelo prayed he was only imagining the knowing smile around the ninja masters mouth.

 

*

 

A curse escaped Donatello’s lips. Leonardo did not seem to be badly injured but he would need a moment to recover. It was obvious that the permanent use of magic wore Kala out and while Raphael was not a terrible aim, he did not manage to destroy all three tentacles at once. They were too fast and seemed to have a mind of their own.

He had an idea. But it was risky and had a price, but looking at his exhausted allies, Don saw no other option. As Kala once again cast a spell and distracted the monster, the genius rushed towards Raphael and took the weapon from his hand.

“I think I can get rid of the vines.” He explained. “But I’ll need that. Can you help distract it?”

“Okay…” Raphael answered hesitant. “I hope ya know what yer doing.”

Then the turtle in red drew his sai and attacked. Futile of course without a magic weapon but hopefully giving Donnie some time. The genius had developed the weapon himself so of course he knew what he was doing and he could do it with ease. He just was not sure it would work as he planned.

After a final adjustment the warning light on the weapon began to blink rapidly.

“Out of the way!” Donatello yelled. “Everybody take cover.”

The gun under his left arm, he pushed himself with the staff in his right hand to jump on one of the metal shelves. He dropped his bo and managed to slide down and placed the gun between the vines emerging from the fiend’s body.

With relief he noticed that his allies had followed his command before he jumped into the hole in wall the monster had left behind. Not a moment too soon. A high-pitched noise sounded and the room was filled with light. The demonic creature shrieked and with one carefully peeking eye Don saw the explosion rip the tentacles of the black body who immediately slithered back into the dark corridor he sat in.

Donatello leaned back against the wall but the breath of relief got stuck in his throat. A dark shadow fell over him. The monster, though cut off from his healing vines, was still very alive and very angry. Ripping his parody of a head apart, it let out an unearthly gurgle and charged. His vulnerable position and the lack of a weapon left the genius nothing to do but scramble along the wall in a futile attempt to get away. Of course the creature was faster and its pitch black claws went down against the turtle’s body.

Don braced himself for the inevitable and could already feel the cold emanating from the fiend’s limbs as the demonic shadow suddenly halted. Confused the genius gazed up and saw a silver blue light streaming out of the enemy’s breast. With a closer look he recognized the glowing blade of a katana that now slowly slid up the dark body, letting the melting mass glide along its shining steel.

The huge amount of black slimy unceremoniously dropped to the floor and revealed Leonardo, determination in his face and his body tense. After the remains of the monster had disappeared, the turtle in blue came rushing to Donatello and kneeled beside him. Concern shone in the ice blue eyes as he checked the genius for visible injuries.

“What were you thinking, Don?” He admonished without vigor. “I should have been the one to…”

“There was no time to explain.” Don contradicted and added with a smile: “And – no offense – I wouldn’t have trusted your ability to overload the gun without killing yourself.”

The leader sighed in defeat.

“Point taken.” He said.

“Yer okay there, Don?” Raph appeared in the wall’s crack now, Kala peering over his shoulder.

“I am fine.” The turtle in purple nodded while Leonardo helped him stand. “Leo?”

“Me as well.” The ninja assured. “I was just a little dizzy for a moment. But I can see clearly, there is no headache and no nausea.”

Don smirked. The blue-banded mutant knew exactly what he was about to ask to rule out a concussion.

“I guess, we keep going then?” The genius asked.

“We keep going!” Leonardo confirmed.

 

*

 

With effort Leonardo turned his gaze away from Donatello’s deep brown eyes and led the way further into the unknown. The tunnel behind the secret wall took only one turn before revealing an old rusty iron door. There was a small opening with bars to peer through in the upper part. Leonardo could see a long hallway with similar doors at both sides. Prison cells maybe?

The door was locked but not magically sealed and Donatello made quick work of that problem. The group snuck into the cell block and Raphael, bringing up the rear guard, carefully closed the door behind himself.

As soon as it fell shut, Leonardo sensed the shift in the atmosphere and judging from his comrades’ change of posture, they did, too. As a ninja clan’s headquarter the Foot Tower of course was not a prime example of noisiness in its upper levels, too, but here in this place the silence seemed absolute. No occasional creak of wood, no random rush of air, no sheepishly murmured joke, no accidentally audible step. Silence was not a temporary state here, not a rule, it just was. And so a certain graveness lay upon their own movements because it seemed that every step, every breath broke a universal law. Every sound caused by the turtles or Kala was swallowed by the thick silence that held the place in its iron grip with in a second’s fracture.

The design of the walls was different here. It was neither the modern Western standard found in the zones that were occasionally open for public, nor the Japanese style as seen in the Foot clan’s restricted areas. Floor and walls were made of simple grey stone, building one long hallway, lit by torches attached to the wall with iron holders in a more or less regular pattern next to each cell door. The sparse illumination showed a turn far at the corridor’s end, its length not fitting anything they had seen in the floor plans. The stone material itself seemed wrong. Like it was there and not at the same time. Clear as day a wallpiece was there when one looked at it but seemed to vanish in the eyes’s corner when one turned away. But it always was where it had been before when the gaze lay upon it again.

Donatello seemed to notice it, too, because he curiously let his hand slide along the wall while he was walking. Leonardo’s questioning look was answered with a shrug that appeared to say that the genius felt nothing unusual.

Leonardo could only guess that his hotheaded brother did not need to notice the suspicious nature of the walls and floor to be alarmed. Most likely his brother’s instinct for danger was overflowing him with a sense of dread anyway.

Kala was silent and like Leonardo himself peered into the cells carefully.

There were 10 of them. The first six they looked into were empty. In three others each was a person, motionless, possibly dead. Judging from their attire, they were high-ranked foot members, maybe imprisoned for disagreeing about allying the clan with demons?

“Shall we go in?” Donatello asked.

“No, we cannot help them now anyway.” Leonardo answered while on his way to the last cell. “If they are still alive, they’ll still be after we dealt with… Oh God!”

Peering into the last cell Leonardo immediately recognized the lithe but athletic body slumped into a corner, long black hair hanging messy around the pale face, wounds covering the skin peeking through ripped cloth.

“Karai.” Leonardo breathed. “Donatello, the door!”

“On it.”

The genius picked the lock with ease and Leonardo all but stormed into the cell behind. He rushed to Karai’s side, carefully lifted her into his lap and tried to wake her while Don examined her wounds. A gasp escaped the turtle in purple but Leo had no mind for that now.

“Karai.” He spoke repeatedly and after a while she stirred in his arms.

Relief flooded his soul at the sight of her dark eyes fluttering open and meeting his. But it was washed away immediately when her pupils widened in panic, her breathing became erratic and her weak limbs started to struggle in an attempt to get away.

“Karai, calm down!” He tried to sooth. “I got you. You’re safe n…”

“No, please!” She screamed and rolled from his lap, obviously not even having heard what he had said. “Please, Leonardo! Don’t!”

“Karai, what…”

“Please, Leonardo,” she cried. “I am sorry for betraying you. And for what I did yesterday. I won’t do it again! Please!”

In panic she scrambled into her cell’s corner and Leonardo could only stare helplessly. He wanted to follow her but Donatello held him back.

“Don’t.” He said softly. “She does not seem to be in her right mind. I suppose she is traumatized. Looking at the nature of her injuries I am not surprised.”

“But why is she scared of me?”

“I have a theory about that, but…”

A scraping noise in the distance interrupted the genius and both turtles for a moment left the shivering Karai to join Raphael and Kala in the hallway. The hothead and the mage both had turned their gaze down the corridor where sound seemed to originate from.

“Maybe Karai’s screams have alerted a guard.” Raphael speculated.

“Possibly! Be prepared!” Leonardo spoke. “Kala, stay behind me. Don, take care of Karai.”

Donatello was about to go to the cell when a manic laughter echoed through the cell block. It was a nasty cackling sound that had Leonardo’s blood turn cold. He had heard that before.

“What the hell is that?” Kala asked and when Leonardo turned around to face her, he saw Raphael stare at the mage, his face pale and his eyes wide open in fear.

“You hear it, too?” He asked and looked even more horrified when she nodded.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for keeping you waiting for so long but there is a lot on my mind lately.  
> Feedback is welcome as always. Thanks for reading!


	15. Face of Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I am not dead! Just stressed! I apologize for the long wait. But here we are with the next chapter. Yay! It's not proofread yet. I will do this tonight (because sleep is overrated) but I wanted to upload this now because else I probably would NEVER stop re-writting.

“What do you mean?” Leonardo asked. “Of course we hear it, too? Whoever it is, is not trying to be silent.”

They all stared, weapons ready, down the hallway where the cruel laughter seemed to originate from. The echo made it hard to estimate how far the person was away.

“Raphael?” The softness of Donatello’s concerned voice stood in harsh contrast to the rough cackling echoing through the halls. “What is it? Do you know who that is.”

“It’s him!” Raphael whispered in horror. “He is real…”

“Who? You need to…” Leonardo was cut off by the unpleasant noise of metal scraping along stone.

From behind the corner a shadow fell along the wall, soon followed by a large figure. It was a mutant jackal with impressive muscles on a tall body, huge arms with big hands, each holding a long sharp knife. As soon as he had rounded the junction, he greeted the group by showing his sharp teeth in a broad dark grin.

“Raphael!” He smirked. “Coming back for more, I see! And you brought your brother this time! How nice!”

The turtle in red seemed stunned into silence. His eyes were wide in shock and horror and he did not react to his comrades, neither to Kala’s soft hand on his shoulder, nor Donatello, poking him with his bo, nor Leonardo directly addressing him.

“Raphael, snap out of it! We need you!”

Leonardo himself had some trouble keeping his composure as well. He had been prepared to see the impossible come true before his eyes and he was determined to cling to the knowledge that Faustus was more dead than alive in Bishop’s secret laboratory. But being confronted with the man he feared and despised so much and had hoped to never meet again, made focusing and thinking rational a challenging task.

“Who are your friends?” Faustus asked, not waiting for an answer but stating with a disappointed expression: “That turtle doesn’t seem much of a fighter. No fun! But, oh… that’s more like it.”

Alarmed Leonardo noticed how the jackal’s grin changed from nasty to greedy when his eyes fell on Kala. She was not human but the color of her hair was light as was the fur covering her slender but curvy body. Her appearance came as close to Faustus’ victims as a non-human woman could. The turtle in blue positioned himself between the jackal and the mage and saw Donatello do the same. Raphael however still did not react when he called him to arms.

So Leonardo turned around to call him again but froze before one word had escaped his mouth. Behind Raphael in a halfcircle around him stood dozens of pale blond women of different ages. Their blue eyes were lifeless and dull and lacked any form of emotion or determination. And yet the way they stared at the turtle in red was threatening and spoke of ill-will.

Again Leonardo called his brother’s name but as before Raphael did not react.

He just stared.

*

_Not again! Raphael found himself in front of a door. There was nothing unusual to the door. A bit old fashioned maybe, but made of sturdy wood. Nothing special and still so very special to Raphael. He had stood here in front of that door so many many times. In reality it was once but his nightmares had led him to that door countless times, made him hear the cries from behind for numerous nights._

_“Don’t open it!” Every fiber of his being screamed._

_But forced by an invisible power he slammed his body against the door until it gave in to reveal a teenager’s bedroom. It was like always: a beautiful dying girl in her own blood, a shadow rushing out of the window, the storm waving beige curtain around. Frantic and futile attempts to stop the blood from flowing._

_“Monster.” The girl whispered, eyes wide with panic before they ran empty._

_Raphael rushed to the open window. Faustus stood on a roof’s ledge nearby, grinning. Rage boiled inside the turtle as he jumped out. He braced himself for the rain and cold but it never came. When his feet hit the ground, he stood in front of an old-fashioned wooden door, muffled cries of pain and fear sounding from behind…_

*

He could not help his groan of pain when his shell hit the wall hard. Like a puppet Faustus had grabbed him and thrown him around. Leonardo had tried to fight the uncanny women off of Raphael. In retrospection that had been a bad idea. While he was pretty sure that they were responsible for his brother’s stunned condition, they were not harming him physically. But after Leonardo attacked them, some of them responded in kind. So it did not win him anything. Still Raphael was in their clutches and Leonardo now had to fight Faustus and a couple of dead girls.

Both was not working out very good. The women were not fast but strong and relentless. Faustus was strong, relentless _and_ fast. Kala’s magic failed to do any harm to the enemies and Donatello who had silently took over the role as her protector could not even get close to do any damage to Faustus.

Leonardo knew that he was the only one with a weapon that could harm magical or demonic creatures but he had to get rid of the ghosts (or zombies?) first. But that was easier said than done.

As one of them charged at him, he evaded her with a backflip and allowed himself to be cornered by them. Having a better oversight now, he saw that seven of them were after him. They came closer. As about two steps separated them, Leonardo murmured: “Sorry, ladies!”, squatted down and spun his body in a half-circle, cutting through the women’s bodies. Bracing himself for a horrifying sight, he was surprised to see the women just disappear. He would have been content with this solution, if they would not have re-appeared behind Raphael a second later. They did not seem to attack him anymore, instead focused on Raphael again but on the long run it would not do to exhaust himself while his opponents just could pop out and in of existence.

“Don, shouldn’t that katana get rid of them?” He called out. “How are they still here?”

Donatello who right now was busy distracting Faustus from Kala by blocking and evading mighty and vicious blows pressed out breathless: “So sorry… the weapon…didn’t come with a manual…”

Leonardo rushed to the genius’ aid but Donnie stopped him.

“We need your brother to win this!” He yelled, dodging sideway, winning a moment by hitting Faustus’ knee pit with a spin of his bo. He hurried to speak: “The women are not aggressive right and while I cannot beat that bastard, I can keep him busy. Do your mind tricks and get your brother back.”

Leonardo knew that this was a good idea: Reaching into Raphael’s mind to help him break the spell he was under. But he also knew that Donatello was not the best fighter. The leader’s protective instincts flared both ways. But while his hotheaded little brother was really helpless right now, Don was anything but and Leonardo knew first hand that if the genius did not fight to win but to distract and wear out, he could hold his ground. Still, the leader knew he did not have much time.

Feeling way more exposed than was ideal for meditation, he took a few steps back into one of the empty cells and sat down. Breathing deeply he closed his eyes and tried to find his brother.

*

_Raphael had lost count. It could have been a dozen times or a hundred, maybe a million that he broke down that door. Countless times now he had seen the life run out of Mena, seen her eyes go empty, seen the blood stain her white sheets, her white gown, her white skin. And countless times he had heard her last word – monster – echo through her room and through his soul. And as every time he once again rushed after Faustus in vain. Again the window he jumped through led him back to the dark narrow corridor and to that horribly normal door._

_He took a run-up and braced his shoulder for the impact but a familiar voice stopped him._

_“Raph, you need to stop this!”_

_“Leonardo?” Shortly before he hit the door, Raphael came to a halt._

_“Yes, it’s me!” The incorporeal voice answered. “I am glad you finally can hear me.”_

_“Are you really here, Leo?” His brother’s voice was far away and Raphael had to strain his ears (metaphorically speaking) to make out what he said._

_“Yes and no.” Leo sighed. “Physically I am still in a cell tract beneath the Foot Tower, hoping Faustus won’t best Don and kill my body right after.”_

_“The Foot Tower…”_

_“Yes, we need you there._ I _need you there!”_

_“I… I can’t… Mena… Faustus… I…”_

_“Raphael, you need to stop torturing yourself. Don’t go through that door.”_

_“I can’t stop, Leo. Something… urges me, forces me, maybe that’s my penance.”_

_“For what?”_

_“I couldn’t save those girls.”_

_“We both could not save them, Raphael. Do you blame me?”_

_“’Course not…”_

_“Then why blame yourself?”_

Raphael did not answer, pondering the question.

_“I… don’t know.”_

_“Raphael, you need to find that guilt’s origin.”_

_“I know it. I couldn’t save…”_

_“You’re too smart to really think that their deaths are your fault, Raph.”_

_“But I feel…”_

_“Maybe it is not about the victims, but the culprit?”_

_“I thought about it, Leo, but how could I feel bad for him when he did… that to those girls?”_

_“……”_

_“Leo? Leonardo, I barely hear you.”_

_“…cus, Raphael, you need to…”_

_“What?”_

_“Chase your guilt, Raph! Find its roots and rip them out.”_

_“Leo? Leo!”_

_But the faint presence of his brother was gone and Raphael was again alone, trapped in his own mind. Images of the dead girls, bloody and bruised, Faustus laughing and mocking. All the scenes seemed to replay in front of in inner eye but he could not pinpoint one. They kept rushing through his mind and through his very soul. All the blood, the fear, the heartbreak threatened to shatter him._

_He had to find an anchor, something to hold on to, something to stop or at least slow down that perverted slide show of blood and tears. Raphael was engulfed in a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness but he knew, deep down, that he was not alone. He had family and friends who despite his many flaws would never give up on him. They carried the forgiveness to his guilt._

_A strangled girl on a bed, eyes shock-wide._

_Splinter handing him his first sai, eyes shining with pride._

_A dead woman in a bloody puddle in an alley._

_Raphael’s own hand stitching up a grateful Leonardo after an encounter with Shredder._

_A blurry picture of a twisted neck._

_Donatello nodding at him approvingly._

_The image of another woman threatened to appear in front of his mind’s eye but it faded before it had a chance to really show. Instead of in the lifeless blue eyes of a dead girl, he was staring into the deep blue eyes of Michelangelo._

_“It wasn't your fault that these girls died. I think you and your brother are heroes for stopping him.”_

_Hero. He never thought about himself that way. But Mikey did. He remembered his father’s words._

_“Sometimes it is wise to look at ourselves through the eyes of another. It can teach us empathy when we lack it. But also in our darker hours someone else might look at us with more love and compassion than we are willing to grant ourselves.”_

_“It wasn't your fault that these girls died.” Mikey’s voice sounded._

_“It wasn't your fault.”_

_“Not my fault.” Raph thought. It was true. It was not his fault. As it was not his fault what was now happening to Faustus. Faustus had brought that upon himself and Bishop was the one who had ultimately done it. He knew that and still something kept nagging at his mind._

_Chase the guilt… Alright. Raphael focused. The horrible slide show of bloody pictures reappeared but it was no longer overwhelming. He let it slide off of him. Finally all wheels seemed to stop and a single scene appeared._

_Another abandoned warehouse. Leo grabbing the biceps of a chained up Faustus. A dark van driving through the open gate. Two dark suited men he does not know jump out the back, another unknown man sits behind the wheel and stays there. The passenger site opens and Bishop steps out, a grin on his face, his eyes as always hidden behind dark glasses._

_Bishop and Leo exchange a few words. The agent then gives a wordless sign to his two minion and they start moving towards Faustus. The jackal turns to Raphael one last time and whispers with an almost manic grin: “So that’s Bishop, huh? Yes, looks like a man who gets things_ done _!”_

Raphael’s eyes snapped open.

*

_“…o? Leona…, …arely hear you.” Something was wrong. He had finally managed to get Raphael to listen him and break the vicious cycle of his self-built purgatory but now the connection was fading._

_“Focus, Raphael, you need to find the root of your guilt” Leonardo called out to his brother, hoping to be heard_

_“…?”_

_“Chase your guilt, Raph! Find its roots and rip them out.”_

_“Leo? Le…!”_

Two pairs of small but strong hands grabbed Leonardo’s body and forcefully pulled him up. Being manhandled of course ended his meditative state abruptly and with a shocked gasp Leo found himself back in the cold hallway. Responsible were two of Faustus’ victims who had apparently identified Leonardo as the source of the disturbance of their influence on Raphael. They did not take kindly to it. Their nails dug into his flesh before he was thrown against one of the cell doors. The loud clanking of the metal accompanied the hammering in his head and the loud rush of blood in his ears.

Exhausted equally from the fight and the spiritual exercise, he struggled to find a fighting stance again. Leonardo among allies and friends was known to keep calm. In a fight was level-headed, rational and rarely lost his temper. But now he felt a surge of panic bubbling deep down in his stomach, threatening to burst out and overflow him.

Faustus, or the thing that pretended to be him, swung his huge weapon around, laughed manically and was not only stronger but also faster than the jackal had been before. Even if it was only him, the turtles and Kala would have had trouble to beat him and he was not. The visions of the dead women though born only in a guilt ridden mind, were not to be trifled with: claw-like fingernails, strong grip and relentlessness.

Kala had retreated to Karai’s cell and had reduced her actions to healing magic, trying desperately to heal at least crippling wounds the jackal caused to Donatello. Still the genius covered in burning scratches and bruises while Faustus was perfectly fine. Not that the turtle in purple did not managed to land some hits. No, they just could not hurt the fiend.

Leonardo hissing in pain rose to his feet and immediately had to fight of the two women that had ripped him out of his trance. A groan escaped his lips as teeth and nails dug ripped his skin and a pair of pale white hands circled around his throat. His stamina was fading and while this was a situation he usually could free himself from, exhaustion took its toll on him and he found himself unable to push the enemies of him. The grip around his throat tightened and he felt his knees gives out. He dropped his weapon to grab the wrists of the woman strangling him but she was too strong. Leonardo’s options were reduced to a pathetic struggle and finally he dropped to his knees, feeling the lack of oxygen take its toll and then… she was gone. They all were gone. The women that had been attacking them had disappeared.

Leonardo looked around to find his own surprise reflected in Donatello’s and Kala’s faces. Raphael still was out of it but his expression had changed from panicked to strained, as if he was thinking hard about something. The leader could not help recognizing the irony of it: A deadly fight ensues around them, and his hotheaded brother of all people choses ‘thinking’ over partaking. He did however have not much time to contemplate for long. The women and girls were gone, Faustus were not.

The huge fiend was rushing towards Kala with a mighty roar. Within the blink of an eye Don’s bo was between the mage and the jackal’s weapon but Faustus was too strong for the lithe thief. It only took a moment for him to push Donatello hard against the cell door. Kala tried to blind him but the spell had no effect. Scared she retreated, vainly protecting the whimpering Karai with her body.

Faustus bared his teeth and forced his weapon’s handle against Don’s bo so that the genius’ own staff pressed against his throat. Without thinking Leonardo rushed to Donatello’s aid, grabbing Faustus from behind, pulling him away. Unsurprisingly he could not pull the bulky opponent very far and only managed to drag him far enough for the other turtle to slip away. Coughing Don stumbled into the cell, too. Kala caught and supported him to keep him from falling.

Faustus now focused on Leonardo. He grabbed his throat and with ease he lifted the weakened ninja up, slamming him against the stone wall. Gathering all his remaining strength in his legs, Leo tried to free himself or at least loosen the jackal’s grip with a powerful kick against his chest. But it was not enough. The turtle in blue felt his consciousness fading. He was losing. It was not the first time but this time – so it seemed – losing would cost him dearly.

Suddenly a cry of rage echoed through the hallway. Before Leonardo had even recognized the voice as his younger brother’s, Faustus was pushed away from him, making him slid down the wall. Raphael had somehow escaped his mysterious trance and was now – with unknown strength – attacking the huge mutant jackal. Relentless he delivered punch after punch, sai in his hand and yet only using the fists that gripped the handles. Faustus, seconds ago controlling the fight, quickly lost control over the battle. After a few fruitless attempts of blocking, he tried to push Raphael back but the turtle in red did not allow that. A series of hit and kicks was followed by a fast spin kick, effectively hauling Faustus of his feet. Blow after blow rained down on the murderer’s body, not precise but nevertheless effective.

“Ya know what?” Raphael snarled in the pinned jackal’s face. “Ya were right! Bishop gets things done! But ya? That’s a thing I shoulda done!”

A weak chuckle escaped Faustus. Blood covered his face, flowed out his nostrils and drippled from his mouth’s corner, but he still mocked Raphael.

“Interesting revelation, turtle.” He hissed. “Too bad you had it now and not then. A bit late, isn’t it?”

An almost manic grin spread across Raphael’s face.

“It was!” He agreed, voice dangerously low. “So ain’t it nice of ya ta give me a second chance?”

Faustus did not even have the time to change his smug expression into a confused or shocked one. Lightning fast the turtle in red swung his weapon and let the blades sink into both sides of the jackal’s throat. A gurgling noise from the throat of the murder echoed through the halls before it died along with him.

That however did not stop Raphael from pulling his blades out, only to stab them right back into the dead enemy’s body. And again. And again.

Shocked by his brother’s sudden outburst Leonardo just stared for a moment, switching his gaze between Raphael and the jackal’s corpse beneath him. Finally Raphael ceased his stabbing motion. Beneath him the dead body slowly turned black, starting to lose its shape, slowly melting into a mass of black slime that seeped away into the ground.

Raphael watched the scene with an unsettling intensity while ragged breath escaped his lips and nose.

“Well, he is out of his stupor,” Donatello whispered behind Leonardo. “But I am not sure he is okay…”

“Hey, little brother.” Leonardo tried to address the turtle in red. “How do…”

“I’m fine, Fearless!” Raphael huffed. “No reason to cuddle me or to put me in a straightjacket. Just a little pissed.”

Doubtful Leonardo contemplated his younger brother. When Raphael met his gaze, his expression turned annoyed very fast but his eyes did not indicate confusion or delusion. His voice was normal, too. He certainly seemed tense and angry but that was not unusual.

“So you got over the guilt that paralyzed you?” Leo wanted to know.

Raphael nodded grimly.

“I shoulda been the one ta rid the world of that monster.” He snarled. “Not leave it ta Bishop. Sure, I felt guilty because of the girls, too, but I knew I couldn’t have changed it. What I coulda done was putting a knife in Faustus throat and I didn’t. At least I could kill the copycat here. And maybe we find some other monsters here to stab.”

Leonardo flinched at his brother’s last sentence and at his dark grin.

“I don’t know if that is healthy, Raph!” said Leonardo doubtfully. “Replacing guilt with aggression.”

“As long as we’re sure that there is no demon of anger close by.” Donatello dead-panned but when seeing the leader’s disapproving look, he asked: “Too soon?”

“In the middle of it? Yes! Way too soon!”

“Leave Don alone, Fearless!” Raphael spoke. “He just made a joke. I’m good to go, I promise!”

Frowning the older Hamato brother took in the younger. He seemed to be coherent, was physically unharmed, had overcome the demon’s grip and he was safer with the group than he would be staying behind.

“Alright! We need to move on. But if anything is wrong, Raph… anything at all…”

“You’ll be the first ta know, Fearless!” The hothead nodded, smirking.

Sighing Leonardo turned towards Kala.

“I doesn’t feel right to leave Karai behind like this.” He stated. “Do you think her behavior is caused by magical influence? Can you help her so that she at last can come with us?”

Kala looked at Karai with an uncertain expression.

“I will try!” She answered after a while.

*

Donatello bit his lip as he saw how much his theory had upset Leonardo. Outwardly the turtle in blue was calm but there was a storm brewing in that ice blue eyes.

“She thinks _I_ did that to her?” The leader asked incredulously.

“Well, yes.” Don said carefully. “At least in her state. I assume the end of your relationship was not amicable?”

Leonardo did not answer but Raphael was fast to fill in for him.

“Ya can say that.” He growled. “Ta prove ta her daddy that she is loyal only ta him, she lured Leo in an ambush.”

“Someone let _you_ into an ambush?” Don asked surprised.

“I… loved her.” Leo spoke after a while. “Our separation was sudden. When she offered to talk some things out, I was hoping for another chance. In hindsight that was stupid…”

“It was stupid in foresight, too, Fearless!”

Before the Hamato brothers could start an argument, Don led the conversation back to Karai’s current state: “Let’s say she is not as unscrupulous as you think, Raph. Her loyalties were torn and she made a decision. That does not mean she does not feel guilty. And under the influence of the demon that guilt comes to haunt her in the form of the one she wronged.”

Following Leonardo’s gaze into Karai’s cell where the kunoichi was tended to by Kala, Don flinched at the traces of torture and sexual violence. If not for the horror of it, it would have been fascinating that the culprit had been conjured by the victim’s own mind.

Kala had just stopped the spell she was working on Karai and put a reassuring hand on the shaking woman’s shoulder. She looked into the dark-haired woman’s eyes and sighed. Then she turned back to the turtles, shaking her head.

“The demon’s grip on her is too strong and we don’t have the time to reach into her mind like you did with Raphael.”

“We can’t leave her behind.”

“We have to, Fearless!”

“I know you hate her,” Leonardo growled at his brother. “But even you must feel some sympathy for her after all that thing has done to her!”

“Yeah, I do!” Raph snapped back at him. “But we’re up against a very dangerous opponent, we can’t babysit her and in her state she can’t defend herself.”

Subtly positioning himself between the turtles in blue and red, Donatello carefully addressed Leonardo: “I think Raphael is right! In her cell she is at least safe from dangers that are not rooted in her own mind. And that… other problem is best solved by defeating the demon.”

“Who says she is safe from the shadow creatures in there?”

“Well, they _could_ attack her there I suppose,” admitted Donatello. “But they haven’t so far and taking her with us would directly put her in the line of fire.”

Leonardo furrowed his brows and while it was obvious that he did not like it, he nodded after a while.

“I guess you are right,” he admitted. “As long as the demon is here, there is no safety anywhere. Close the door please, Kala, we get her as soon as it is safe.”

With an uneasy feeling they left Karai and finally the cell tract behind. The dark grey hallways that greeted them were perfect to get lost since they defied any logic. They encountered T-corner after T-corner with every path leading to another one.

“That’s quite enough of that!” Don grumbled after what felt like the 100th but was probably just the 10th T-corner they arrived at and grabbed a piece of chalk out of his belt and started marking the walls.

Despite their situation Raphael snorted.

“Okay, Donnie”, he grinned. “What is NOT in that little magic belt ya got there?”

“Raisins.” Donatello deadpanned. “I hate those.”

Donatello marked their path and they followed it. But even though they choose a way that should have led them away from their starting point, they found their own marks after taking five turns.

Leonardo sighed and Raphael cursed. Donatello took a deep breath and tried to focus. Demons really brought him to his wit’s end. Just as he wanted to address the others, about trying to find the way back to the cells to make a new plan, a loud rumble from behind the wall sounded and echoed through the maze. Startled Don stumbled back and lost his balance. Fortunately Raphael caught him with ease and a grin.

“What the hell?” Don breathed out.

While the maze they were in had already proven itself to not really follow any laws of science or common sense, still the genius had not expected for anything to be behind this specific wall and yet the thunderous sound had come from there AND now there were screeches and noises of pain audible.

“Wait!” Kala said, lifting her hand. She focused on the wall and Don could only assume that she was casting a spell because she stared directly at the grey stone for almost ten seconds without blinking.

Finally her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, she pinched her nose bridge and moaned.

“Uhhh,” she made. “That’s a strong one!”

“Strong what?” Leonardo asked.

“Illusion.” Kala answered. “There is no wall. What we seek must be behind it.”

 “So,” Raph wanted to know. “We just walk through it?”

“It might work!” She said. “The illusion is powerful, tricking not only our eyes but also our other senses. That’s why the walls _feel_ sturdy, too. But now that you know, you could be able to overcome it.”

“Could?” Don asked.

“Well, knowledge or not,” the cheetah explained. “It is in our instincts to trust our senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch first and foremost. So if your brain tries to go against two of those,…”

“…it might have a hard time.” Donatello finished dryly and Kala nodded.

“Ah, come on, genius!” Raphael teased friendly. “If someone’s brain can take his eyesight and his sense of touch it’s yers!”

While he raised an eyebrow at that, Donatello felt Leonardo shift behind him. He turned to face him and saw that the turtle in blue had closed his eyes and was breathing slowly and evenly. After a few seconds he opened his eyes again and nodded grimly towards the wall.

“Kala is right!” He confirmed. “The wall is gone.”

“Really, Fearless?” Raph scowled. “Ya close yer damn eyes for a sec and can break a Grade A illusion?”

“If you focused more on your meditation skills, Raph, you could… “ Leonardo stopped himself, his eyes widened and with a gasp he ran towards the wall and disappeared in it.

Okay, Leonardo had managed to break the illusion with his meditation techniques, only three to…

“Are ya crazy, Leo? Ya can’t just run off like that!” Raphael yelled at Leo and without thinking followed him through the wall.

Raphael had broken the illusion by being too fast for his brain AND his five senses. Of course Kala was not far behind, having her magic senses to back up the non-existence of the wall.

All the while Donatello stared at the sturdy wall. He trusted Kala’s word of course AND had just seen three people disappear into the wall and yet the vision of the wall did not waver and it felt sturdy under his fingertips.

“Damn!” He just said, staring at the wall that was not there and yet, it was.

*

When the wall disappeared before his eyes, he had almost started another argument with Raphael. But then he looked into the room behind the false wall and spotted two fallen bookshelves. It might have been three since they were mostly destroyed leaving a mess of loose boards, broken wood and cluttered books. At first Leonardo felt satisfaction at finding the source of the noise they had heard but then he saw a body beneath the mess. He was lying on his side, his back facing Leo, the upper body was almost completely buried but what was visible from his hips and legs suggested it was a man, dressed in the robes of a high-ranking foot member.

Without further ado Leonardo rushed into the room, hearing Raphael call and follow him. Carefully Leonardo removed the clutter the man was buried under and turned him around.

“Shredder!” He gasped.

There were no vital signs, carefully lifting an eye lid revealed an empty iris and the body was cold. Oroku Saki was dead.

A whirl of mixed feelings washed over Leonardo like a tidal wave. Not too long ago finding the corpse of his family’s deadly enemy would have been a relief beyond imagination, and while he felt no grief, Leonardo could not help ponder the implications. Not only did he feel for Karai who was in a horrible emotional and physical state and now in addition would have to mourn her father, he also had to question how Shredder had died. Old shelves crashing on their own under the weight of time did not leave that amount of destruction but nobody else was here. Also he had been sure that Oroku Saki was the one who had summoned the demon and had been possessed by him but Kala said that the if the possessed one died the demon could and would keep the body alive because it needed the host to stay alive itself. So who was the summoner if not Oroku Saki? Whose face did the demon wear? And where was it now?

Leonardo let his eyes wander. They were in a large square room with a wooden joist at the high ceiling, bookshelves adorned the wall and a huge table with carved in sigils stood in the center, cluttered with different items that Leo could only guess were needed for magic rituals. The walls were made of the same dark grey stone than in the corridor. So far he saw no exit except for the way they had entered but of course they could not rule out more illusions.

Where could the demon have gone?

“Ooops!” Rather clumsy and yet somehow endearing Donatello finally stumbled into the room.

“Sorry!” He said rather sheepishly. “After so many failed attempts I did not expect to finally make it.”

“Well, here ya are!” Raphael grinned. “Too bad ya missed ol’ Saki. He already checked out.”

“Show some respect for the dead!” Leonardo admonished but his brother only scoffed at that.

“Oroku Saki is dead?” Donatello asked in disbelief.

“Yes, the sounds we heard obviously was the bookshelf collapsing on him – however that happened…”

“Are you sure he is dead?” The turtle in purple asked, liking surprises no more than Leo did.

“I am no doctor, but there is no heartbeat, he does not react to any stimuli and he is already cold.”

Donatello raised an eye ridge at that and moved towards the body.

“How can he already be cold if we ear-witnessed his death just minutes ago?”

Wide-eyed Leonardo stared at the genius now inspecting the corpse. Don was right, of course. If the noise that startled them was the shelf burying the Shredder, the corpse would still be warm.

“Maybe he was dead before he was thrown into the shelf.” Don speculated and started to examine the body, probably trying to determine the cause of death but then he halted abruptly. “What the…?”

The genius suddenly began to disrobe the Shredder and before Leonardo could object and point out how inappropriate that was, Don had laid the man’s chest bare and every word died in Leonardo’s throat. He did not even make a sound but stared. With widened eyes and open mouths Kala and Raph stepped closer, too.

There was a hole in Oroku Saki’s stomach. Not a wound, no bloody remains of ripped out flesh. It was a rectangular opening in the middle of the body. Even more unnerving – if that was even possible – were the miniature control elements that Leonardo discovered upon looking closer. It became clear that Don had seen them as well because he curiously reached for them. Leo stopped his hands.

“Not now!” He admonished.

“What is the meaning of this?” Donatello wanted to know.

Of course the genius had no way to identify what was in front of him. Leonardo and Raphael on the other hand had seen the artificial bodies the Utroms used to interact with humans and to use machines that were built for humans.

“That’s an exo-suit.” Raphael said before Leo could. “Utroms wear them to appear human. Their natural forms ain’t too great if they wanna blend in.”

“So someone built an exo-suit to take the identity of Oroku Saki?” Leo asked. “And how does that connect to the demon?”

“Who says he stole his identity lately?” Don objected. “Maybe your mortal enemy never really was human.”

Leo and Raph exchanged looks and it was clear to the older brother that the younger thought the same. This would explain a lot. For example the Shredder surviving the removal of his head.

“Oroku Saki is a Utrom!” Leonardo stated matter-of-factly.

“He is indeed.” A dark voice echoed through the room, making Leonardo search frantically for the source. “A stubborn one. Fighting my control since day one. Annoying! Short-cutting his exo-suit while he was still in it, subdued him though. At least for now.”

“Show yerself, monster!” Raphael snarled. “I got a bone ta pick with ya anyway.”

“Ah, Raphael.” The demon chuckled. “Always so eager! Too bad it usually does damage not good.”

“Shut it! That don’t work on me anymore!”

“We will see about that!” The dark voice answered. “I have yet to reach my full power but with Ch’rell finally shutting up, I can finally solely focus on my guests!”

Leonardo had no time to wonder whether Ch’rell was the Shredder’s Utrom name or an insult in the demon’s native language for soon above him a dark cloud appeared. It floated down and parted, revealing a terrifying creature. It was a Utrom but his skin was not of the light pink shade he had seen on its peers. It was dark red and wore a rather disfiguring tattoo across his face. But most disturbing were the thick veins running along the whole of his body. A black mass ran in them, pumping through the creature. The eyes were black as well, dark liquid seeping out of the corners. And the typical Utrom tentacles were prolonged by ink colored vines made of the thick goo they had seen too often in the past weeks.

The black mist descended until it was hovering about one feet above the floor. A grin spread across the Utroms distorted face.

“I apologize.” The demon said sweetly. “I really didn’t give my best dealing with you. But I intend to do better. Much better!”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some freedom with Ch'rell's appearance because we never get a real explanation for him looking so different from the other Utroms. So I thought we blame the red skin on the demon. What are demons good for if we cannot blame them for stuff?  
> Thanks for reading!


	16. Facing Guilt

The blue masked green creature let his gaze wander across his allies while the one in purple examined the area by flicking his eyes and the one with the red mask, Raphael as the demon knew, had his golden irises aimed at him. The young mage also looked in his direction but not really _at_ him, she was focusing on a spell.

The demon was still floating a few feet above the ground but did not attack. He just grinned and eyed his four opponents like a predator its prey.

“Very ungrateful, this Ch’rell!” He spoke after a while. “If not for his disobedience, he could at least watch your demise.”

“Big talk for a squishy blob that hasn’t moved for five minutes now!” Raphael growled. “Will our ‘demise’ be of age or…”

The demon chuckled. Those creatures were at least amusing. Ch’rell, as interesting as he had been at the beginning, had become dull. If he was not stubbornly resisting the demon’s control, all he thought of was violence and vengeance. Boring. And he was also not very tasty. How does a demon of Guilt feed off a creature without a conscience? At first he had been delighted seeing all the crimes in Ch’rell’s memories but the lack of remorse had put a damper on his good mood very soon.

Luckily Ch’rell was quite literally an alien in this world and was surrounded by so called “humans” who spent a huge part of their life dwelling on past mistakes and regretting wrong decisions.

Those four in front of him were not humans but their minds seemed to work at least similar. There was sentience, the ability to reflect on the own actions and their consequences, a set of morals and they were social beings. He could work with that.

“Oh, Raphael!” chuckled the demon. “I just know how much you like to attack first! How many victories has it cost your family? How many wounds were caused?”

Raphael tensed but remained calm. He started spinning his weapons and gritted his teeth.

“Oh no, demon!” He said. “I’m through with the guilt bullshit! Yer goin’ down!”

“We’ll see!”

The demon used his power.

“Be prepared!” The blue masked one called out. “Remember your training!”

He split four fragments of his essence from his core. It felt good to be strong enough to do that again. While his core stayed with his current host, the fragments rushed towards his opponents. Those mortals would rue the day they decided to attack him.

*

The blue-clad creature stood tall in front of him. A true warrior and a master of the mind as it seemed. He greeted him wordlessly in an open white space. Interesting. Leonardo, that was his name he learned, must have cleared his mind. Obviously he had seen or felt him coming. Keeping calm even at the sight of him, the warrior breathed out and closed his eyes.

Impressive but not enough.

The demon’s magic surged through Leonardo’s mind and soul. He took in every mistake ever made, every wrong turn ever taken, every wrong decision, every false step, every failed attempt. And with it the consequences. All the battles that were lost, all the friends and allies that were hurt, all the opportunities that were missed.

The demon took the shape of a pudgy old man he had seen in Leonardo’s mind. Leonardo himself stood tall and proud but the demon, certain of his upcoming triumph, only grinned.

“Oh, Leonardo!” He spoke full of mock sympathy. “So many people put their trust in you. Granted, your appearance and demeanor are quite impressive and so they think you are a great leader. But how much grief have you brought upon those who put their faith in you?”

The demon took all he had filtered out of Leonardo’s mind and gave it a shape. He formed all of the warrior’s mistakes into one black mass. A dark wall of guilt and shame, built before his mind’s eye. When the green creature reopened his eyes, the demon let it crush down on him like a tidal wave.  But then a voice echoed loudly through the void they were in.

_That is all in the past. Letting the guilt crush you will not change a thing. Spilled blood will not be unshed, the dead will not rise, no harm will be undone._

_Do not dwell. Accept._

_Do not linger. Move on._

_Do not mourn. Learn._

Leonardo refused to crumble and when the wave of darkness came rushing towards him, it could not touch him. It was diverted by an invisible force and slid off of him.

“There is nothing here for you, demon!” Leonardo spoke matter-of-factly. “Leave!”

Well, alright. This one was immune. So what? His other fragments would get to the others, feed of them and then beat this one in battle. That was fine…

*

The demon blinked. He was in a building, a home. He looked around. Humans lived like that and obviously this creature, Donatello he was called, did, too. The demon had seen other worlds with quite similar homes.

From another room he heard voices and entered. He saw the green creature with the purple mask, even though he was not wearing it now, sitting at a machine – a computer -  and another green one eating… something. And there was a human man with a red beard with crossed arms and a knowing smile on his face, a snickering red-headed human girl and brunette human woman, her hands at her hips, tapping her fingers impatiently on the table but, too, wearing a loving smile.

“Oh, Mum!” Donatello spoke. “Just let me finish this calculation. It’s not that we are having a strict schedule. According to your own words ‘the pure freedom of it, is what makes camping so great’! So, since there is no grumpy hotel manager waiting for us with our keys – what harm can it do to leave half an hour later?”

The demon grinned. That was his cue! His powers flared and the scenery changed.

The sun was setting over a crossroad in a middle sized town. A white jeep with a destroyed front blocked the road and camper lay thrown to the side on the pavement near a diner, smoke rising from it. A cop got out of a police car, interrogating and finally handcuffing the man that had crawled out of the jeep. Two men in a dark suit were pushing a stretcher with a covered body into a hearse and a crying red-haired girl was climbing into an ambulance car, begging: “Mom, please, not you, too. Mom, we need you! You have to stay with us!”

Nobody saw the two miserable figures sitting on the diner’s roof, a little bruised, a little scratched but physically barely harmed. Nobody but the demon.

The small turtle beside Donatello disappeared and the demon took his shape. Time stopped, everyone and everything came to a halt. Except Donatello and the demon.

“She did not make it, did she?” The demon asked in false sympathy. “She died only a few hours after your father.”

“Yes.” Donatello nodded.

“He probably got away better.” The demon continued. “He was dead on the spot, right? She was in pain, suffered before she died.”

“Maybe.”

“This must be a terrible burden for you to bear.” The demon spoke.

At that Donatello turned to look at him. His face scrunched at the demon’s chosen form, but he did not draw back.

“What do you mean?” He asked, getting to his feet and gesturing over the scenery. “It was hard for all of us. April and Mikey and me.”

“Yes, but you are the one who caused this!”

“What?” Donatello laughed bitterly. “No, that would be the asshole who decided to drive his brother’s jeep and replace the driver’s license he never got with a bottle of whisky.”

“Oh, yes, he crashed into your father’s car but if you would not have insisted on finishing your calculations, your family would have been far away when this drunk crossed this road.”

For a moment Donatello looked at the demon with an inscrutable expression. Then he sighed.

“I see. You are basing this off a very naïve concept of cause and effect.” He said.

“I… what?” The demon asked.

“Well, while it is true that we might have been somewhere else at the time of the accident if we’d left earlier,” Donatello explained. “Who knows where and what might have happened there? Who knows what our leaving sooner would have caused? Or me not finishing my calculations.”

“But the car accident…”

“You are turning my calculations into the butterfly that caused this storm.” Donatello interrupted the demon and explained in a voice much more lecturing than his young age should allow: “But you are forgetting all the other butterflies. April used the toilet at home while I calculated. Had we left early we maybe would have needed to stop for that at a gas station. Who knows what could have happened there? Or a nail fallen on the street could have been blown away by the wind but could have damaged our wheels 30 minutes earlier. An animal crossing the road could have forced my father to hit the brakes.”

“But this accident would not have happened…”

“Oh, I am sure there are several alternative realities were I did not finish my calculations, we left early and arrived at our destiny safe and sound.” Donatello admitted and then: “But you know, the possibilities are endless. We all could have survived avoiding this accident, or all get killed in another accident. If this asshole had not hit our car, he might have hit a school bus. Drunk as he was…”

“So, you are saying that your calculations may have killed your parents but maybe saved a bunch of children?”

“No!” Donatello shook his head and looked at the demon like one would look at a very dense child. “I am saying that idiot should not have driven drunk. Wasn’t that obvious?”

The demon growled. That was annoying…

*

The old but sturdy building was locked up, completely covered in hostile magic, the inhabitants trapped inside. The only people outside watching in fear and desperation were a single young mage and a handful of warriors.

The demon took the form of one the guards before standing next to Kala.

“We were outside to protect the building!” He stated accusingly. “You were just picking flowers.”

“I collected herbs.” The young mage answered.

“You left your fellow mages alone with the threat inside.”

"Well, yes, I didn’t know.”

"You could have done something, but you were collecting herbs."

"Yeah, but actually it was all Audrey's fault ..."

"Audrey?"

"Yes, it would have been her turn to collect the herbs for the alchemy workgroup, but had she done her homework on theoretical demonology? No!"

"So…"

"And I reminded her! Three times! But no, Miss ‘I’ll-do-it-later-don’t-worry-I-won’t-forget‘ stalls until it's too late. And everyone knows that Master Shez rarely distributes homework, but if he does, he demands that it is done. And call me a teacher’s pet, but I think he has the right to ask that. Anyway, Audrey does not have the homework and gets detention. That means she cannot collect the herbs."

"I…"  
"And it's not like I'm the next after Audrey on our 'herbal collection' list, no, no, that would be Zerik. But Zerik really wanted to do his mushrooming project in THAT week, instead of postponing it to the next week, when the alchemy workgroup would have paused anyway. Okay, please, cover yourself in work, Zerik – your problem! But of course, the 'mushroom expert' forgets to double check whether mica-mushrooms are hidden among the shimmer-mushrooms. I mean, hey, it's not like they teach us that in the first week ... oh, wait, they do! Anyway, the dork crushes the shimmer mushrooms, misses the mica mushroom in between, inhales mica mushroom dust and spends the rest of the day with diarrhea and hallucinations - an unholy combination, I can tell you. Well, I'm glad I was not the one responsible for cleaning the observatory that day. "

“…“

“Hannah, next on our list, has the NERVE to tell me that her stupid date with Zom is more important than…“

The demon hissed. That was exhausting…

*

Raphael stood in the darkened corridor, the storm raging outside, lighting occasionally painting the interior in an eerie glow.

The demon transformed into the creature named Faustus again.

“I have been awaiting you.” Raphael said.

“Of course you have.” The demon chuckled. “We both know you just lied to yourself. You are not over this. You will never be. This was all your…”

A fist came rushing towards the face the demon had borrowed and everything went black.

“Shut up!” growled by a deep an annoyed voice was the last thing he heard.

The demon groaned. That hurt…

*

With a gasp Raphael found his way back to reality. That really had worked! He had made the demon believe that he still felt guilty for the murders and had overpowered him.

Looking around he noticed that his comrades had found back to the real world as well. He also saw the demon be pushed back a few inches and stumble (which looked ridiculous with tentacles). Probably the combined power of four victims fighting back was too much for the still weakened creature.

“Attack!” Leonardo screamed.

And Raphael did not need to be told twice.

They all stormed towards the tentacle creature. Raphael expected Donatello to attack from the side but the genius went low, straight for the tentacles of the opponent. It was an unexpected move since Don did not tend to do reckless things but: desperate times and all that.

It turned out, however, that Donatello had a good reason after all. As expected the demon lunged at him. Three of the ugly appendages came rushing towards the genius. Donnie blocked them with his staff. Then he whirled his weapon, effectively tangling the tentacles around it and up with each other.

Raph had to hand it to Donatello. The turtle in purple was smart, but he was not the strongest and was soon struggling to keep the captivated limbs in check. Raph was about to help him when he saw a flash of green and blue at Donnie’s side. Leonardo’s magic Katana glowed in the half-light of the room and the blade found its target. Three of them to be precise.

Ch’rell screamed in pain with two voices when three of his tentacles were severed from his body. For a moment they hung onto Don’s staff but then curled away and fell lifeless to the floor.

A mortal creature may have been stunned by the pain but Ch’rell’s “visitor” kept the body going. The remaining five limbs started thrashing around, at first glance in random rage but a strange glowing in the creature’s eyes showed that the demon did a good job at keeping them at distance while he was restoring his mental powers.

Raphael would not allow that. With a snarl he rushed towards the demon, dodging the aggressive appendages until he was close enough. His sai probably could not sever the limbs like Leo’s weapon could, but he could still use them to render some tentacles harmless. With a cry of rage, the turtle in red raised his arms and pierced his weapons into the pink flesh of two limbs, one from the left, one from the right, pinning the two tentacles to each other.

Ch’rell let down his guard, turning his attention towards his pinned limbs. Donatello used the moment to slam his bo’s upper end between the creature’s eyes. Whether the genius knew something about Utroms or demons that Raphael did not or he just took a leap of faith, the brawler did not question because it worked. For the fracture of a second the possessed Utrom seemed unable to breathe and therefor was stunned. Of course Leo picked up on that and slammed his foot against the same spot prolonging the enemy’s helpless state.

Gritting his teeth Raph removed his weapons from the monster’s tentacles with a grunt. He rushed forward, ready to ram his sai into Ch’rell’s head. Kala’s shocked gasp failed to stop him, but Don’s staff against his plastron did the trick.

“Raph, don’t! You mustn’t kill him!” Don said.

“What?” The turtle in red growled. “Ya know he was about ta do exactly that ta us, right?”

“Yes,” Kala wayed in. “But we cannot kill the demon, not even with the special weapons. If you kill the host, he will revive it. But if you fatally damage the brain of the Utrom, the demon might be able to leave the body and will find another host.”

“So what do we do?”

“I… don’t know.” Kala sighed.

“Excuse me?!”

“I mean, I have a plan, but we need to find the crystal.”

“Crystal?”

“Yes, the summoning spell we are dealing with here requires a crystal that is connected to the future host’s body.” Kala explained. “It will suck in the demon and connect it to the host.”

“Oooookay…” Raphael made hesitantly, still wrestling the thought someone would actually to this to themselves. “Where is it?”

“Ehm… well, I only saw drawings of people having it on their chest but then again our books always assume a humanoid body.” Kala answered and started rambling: “Which is very racist… or, well speciesist and I can tell you, I had my fair share of discussions with our masters about that but they were just like ‘Kala, not now’, ‘Kala, you are humanoid, what’s your problem?’, ‘Kala, it’s past midnight’, ‘Kala, we cannot…’”

Donatello put his hand on her shoulder.

“That’s honorable.” He smiled. “But right now is _really_ not a good time either.”

Ch’rell made a noise between a gargle and a groan and Leo kicked him again.

“Let’s hurry.” He said. “We drained some of the demon’s strength with our resistance but once he is recovered, Ch’rell’s physical weaknesses will no longer be a problem for him.”

Donatello furrowed his eye ridges and spoke after a moment: “Well, we cannot see it and since this… life form is not wearing any clothes…”

Leonardo nodded and sighed. With an expression of barely veiled disgust he grabbed the Utrom’s mutilated body and pushed him sideward. Donatello, equally repulsed, knelt down and parted the remaining tentacles.

And there it was. Almost central between the appendages‘ roots sat an octagonal dark blue crystal with a faint glow.

“That’s it!” Kala exclaimed, almost giddy and rushed towards it, all but tackling Donatello.

“So,” Leo said with a light smile. “What’s the plan?”

“I know a spell that was developed to secure magical items with a dangerous effect.” The young mage explained. “It basically seals the magic so that even the chosen trigger will not activate the inherent spell before the seal is removed. I worked out a variant that should be able to contain _any_ supernatural energy within an object.”

“I don’t understand.” Don said. “The demon is locked in the crystal anyway, isn’t he? Tied to the body.”

“Yes!” Kala nodded. “That’s why I will not seal the crystal but the body. It’s only a temporary solution, but we can transport Ch’rell to the Nexus, secure him and the demon there and work on separating them. And on locking the demon again.”

“And that will work?” Raphael asked.

“It is not… entirely impossible.” Kala shrugged.

“Great.”

But left with little time and no choice, they agreed to try and Kala went to work.

*

With a huff Leonardo jumped to his feet. Even here in the familiar surroundings of his room, in the safety of his home, he could not focus.

Too fresh in his mind were the events of the past weeks and too uncertain was the future. Sure, no further supernatural plagues had befallen New York so far, but the last thing he had heard about the demon was that he was still trapped in Ch’rell’s body which was rendered motionless. He could not even help a pang of sympathy for his family’s archenemy.

Three days had passed since Splinter had spoken the words and the familiar blue whirl had appeared. Kala and Yort had taken their prisoner through it and Splinter had followed to consult with the Daimyo. Ch’rell, frozen and engulfed in a lightblue glow strapped to a stretcher, had been a bizarre sight. Raphael, Casey and Michelangelo had not even tried to suppress their laughter while Leonardo, Leatherhead, April and Don had managed to at least give the outer appearance of some respect.

This morning a message from his father had reached him. Earth was safe for now but the demon was still connected to Ch’rell. Not even to speak of the other demons that had escaped to who knew where and were spreading their evil undisturbed. In addition, Karai had disappeared from the face of the Earth and not one of his informants had heard as much as a whisper about her whereabouts.

Hoping to find some distraction, Leonardo left his room to see what his brother was up to. He knew that Casey was out with April so he hoped Raphael had stayed home instead of beating up criminals on his own.

Before he reached the lair’s center, he heard that his brother was not alone. Despite his tense mood he smiled when he recognized the excited voice of Michelangelo. What he said did not make much sense but when Leo joined Raph and Mikey in the living room, he saw that the orange banded turtle was playing a video game and shouted at his character. For some reason he had left his gaming console in the lair and was now here on a regular basis to use it. Leonardo did not mind if it meant that Raphael was content staring at Michelangelo’s attractive backside and his excitedly waggling tail instead of endangering himself in the nightly city.

“Good evening, you two.” Leo said with a smile.

“Hey, Leo! No time! Too many zombies!” Mikey exclaimed, furiously hitting the buttons on his controller.

Leonardo looked at Raph with one raised eye ridge. The younger Hamato brother just shrugged and returned to watch Michelangelo’s antics.

“Where’s your brother, Mikey?” Leo asked after a while.

“Uh, Don’s out.” Michelangelo answered casually but his tone and change in posture told Leo he knew more about it but was not going to share.

“Is he now?”

“Uhuh.”

“Hmm, alright. Have fun you two!”

Mikey just made an agreeable noise, but Raph said with a grin still focusing on the enticing tail in front of him: “Oh, we will!”

Rolling his eyes and sighing good-naturedly, Leonardo bid them farewell and left the lair. The little thief was out, was he? Leatherhead had kept an eye on the Foot in the last days and reported to Leonardo so the turtle in blue had an inkling were Don might be at the moment.

About an hour later the heavily secured rooftop door of an otherwise nondescript building opened a gap and a lithe figure slipped out.

“Hello, Donatello.” Leonardo stepped out of the shadows and walked closer to the turtle in purple.

“Leonardo.” Don greeted with a nod.

“So, I hear you are ‘out’.” Leo said casually.

“I am _now_.” Donatello shrugged.

Leonardo stepped closer, not exactly crowding Don but stepping slightly into his personal space.

“This building belongs to the Oroku Foundation.” Leo said.

“Really?” The smaller turtle asked in a voice that was not actually trying to hide that of course he knew this.

“Oh, yes!” Leonardo nodded. “You know, Leatherhead had the Foot under surveillance. It’s pretty easy at the moment, he says. They’re confused, out of sync, letting their guard down. And so he could keep an eye on their systems. Looks like several of their side quarters had security breaches in the last days. Only for a few seconds mind you and very subtle. Leatherhead says he only paid it any mind because it were five in two nights.”

“So what now, Leonardo?” Donatello asked annoyed. “Are you really going to defend the Foot clan now?”

The turtle in purple crossed his arms and stared at Leonardo defiantly. There was a flicker of hurt in his expression and Leonardo was about to ask about that when Don elaborated without being questioned: “My family fights by your side in this demonic mess and a few days later you turn on me to fight on behalf of those whose leader caused this whole ordeal? For your information: I’m not stealing anything, I just use their temporary weakness and confusion to gather some data about them. You have to admit that they are not the good guys and it won’t harm to have some cards up the sleeves.”

A little surprised at Donatello’s tone which was uncharacteristically aggressive, Leo held his hands up in a placating gesture.

“No, no!” He said quickly. “I am not here to criticize you and absolutely not to fight you! I was just curious what you were up to.”

“Oh.” The tension in Don’s body vanished and he smiled mildly: “You could have called and asked.”

The two mutants began moving away from the door.

“Would you have taken my call?” The blue-banded turtle asked with a raised eye ridge and a smirk while they were climbing down a fire escape.

“Most likely not whilst infiltrating a Foot lair.” The thief answered in a teasing tone. “But otherwise… maybe.”

“Alright. Fair. But since I am here now: Would you tell me what exactly you’re doing?” Leo held out his hand to help the other to the ground.

“I am really just scouting their places, Leo.” Don assured. “The buildings’ layouts, the security measures, the level of the security systems, just that.”

“Oh, I see.” Leo said.

Donatello picked up on his disappointment and sighed.

“I could not risk digging too deep into their systems, but I overheard two higher ranked members talking about _her._ They don’t know where she is either.” He answered the unspoken question. “And if they don’t know…”

“She probably left her clan to deal with it alone.” Sighing Leonardo finished the sentence.

“Look, I don’t know what you are still feeling for Karai, but…”

“I feel _responsible,_ Don!” The ninja interrupted harsher than he had meant to.

“Which you are not.” Donatello told him.

“Am I not?” sighed the taller turtle. “What happened to her… what was _done_ to her…”

“…was not your doing and not your fault!” Don insisted.

“But she obviously must have thought, I’d be capable of something like that!”

“No, that’s not how it works, Leo!” The thief argued. “The monster brought something to life that deep down in her mind, she herself thought she deserved.”

“But she didn’t!”

“Of course not!” The genius exclaimed. “Noone deserves that. But Karai was raised and trained by a maniac. We probably cannot even begin to grasp what that means for her mental health. What she did to herself with the help of that demon speaks of an amount of self-hatred none of us can understand because we – as different as our upbringing might have been – were both raised with love.”

A grave silence fell after Don had spoken and for a while they walked without another word towards the next sewer entrance.

“Maybe… maybe you’re right.” Leonardo said finally.

“I often am.” Don teased but with less smugness than usual. “And with regard to the Foot clan being a huge factor in her unhealthy… let’s say ‘lifestyle’, trying to come to terms with what happened _without_ them might not be the worst decision Karai could have made.”

At that Leo only nodded. He could not help the small smile playing along his lips. Going out had been a good decision. And talking to Don instead of trying to catch him and lock him up was definitely beneficial as well. He already felt much better and lighter than only 90 minutes ago.

When they reached the sewer entrance, Leonardo held Donatello back.

“Would you like to come to the lair?” He asked carefully. “Your brother is there, too, playing video games.”

“Of course he is.” Don said with a fond smile, shaking his head.

“Yes, and since April is out with Casey, we could have some tea and I tell you the news that came from the Nexus this morning.” Leonardo conveniently left out that the news had been that there were no news but he could embellish that a bit if Don agreed to join him.

“Maybe I should also inquire you about my family.” Don dead-panned. “Obviously you know more about their current whereabouts and shenanigans than I do.”

With a smile Leonardo removed the manhood cover.

“That’s a yes, I suppose?” He asked and started climbing down before Don had answered.

“It’s a ‘after the last weeks I hate being home alone and my siblings abandoned me for some handsome men so I am coming with you’!” The genius said as he followed Leonardo into the darkness.

Chuckling Leo closed the lid.

“I’ll take it.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Just kidding, of course it's NOT the end. There's still demons out there, folks! Tsk.  
> But our heroes at least got one of them, right? Yay!


	17. New Worlds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Very sorry that I left this story for so long. Not gonna lie to you, it was not only the lack of free time, I also got pretty much caught up in another fandom. Being completely honest, I am still am caught up there, but I found TMNT inspiration as well. Yay.  
> Good (and bad) thing is: Writing for this other fandom, I learnt a lot of new things about writing in the English language, especially about interpunction in dialogue and I am pretty embarrassed that I did that soooo wrong in the past. But I wrote so much that it will take some time to correct it all. xD But I apologize to all of you.

When the blue whirl appeared, Leonardo was surprised at first. Why would his father choose the dojo for his arrival and not the main room? But his relief and joy over Splinter’s return pushed the confusion into the back of his mind. Smiling he watched the portal grow but frowned when it after having attainted the size of an average mirror, remained as it was.

With a sigh he understood that this was not a rift but a channel. His father did not return, he just reached out to send a message. Despite his disappointment Leonardo took a lotus position and tried for a genuine smile to greet his father. Soon enough the old rat’s face appeared in the blue whirl and he mirrored his son’s delighted expression.

“Leonardo,” he spoke warmly. “It’s good to see you!”

“Yes, Sensei!” I’m glad to see you, too,” Leo nodded. “We are missing you!”

“Oh, the feeling is mutual, son,” Splinter said wistfully.

“I assume you don’t have good news then? Else you would have returned instead of just calling.”

“Hmm, we did not solve the problem,” admitted the rat. “But I do have an idea. I suggested to the Daimyo to enlist April’s and Donatello’s help to separate Chr’ell and the demon of Guilt.”

“Donnie and April?” Leonardo repeated surprised. “Father, you know I have deepest respect for their abilities, but I really don’t know how in this case…”

“You will see,” Splinter smiled. “And I will also need your brother, Leatherhead, Casey Jones and you. Young Michelangelo should join us, too. He has a talent for the spiritual and – when he gets his mind out of the clouds – is a formidable fighter.”

“So, we’re not only helping to deal with the creature of Guilt?” Leonardo asked.

“Very observant, my son,” Splinter nodded. “Kala completed her spell to locate the other escaped demons - at least in theory - and the Daimyo asked for our help to find them and I said we would. As allies, as friends and as family.”

Leonardo agreed with a nod.

“I will gather everyone,” he said. “We should be able to join you in a few hours at the Nexus!”

“Thank you, Leonardo.”

“Of course, Sensei!” Leo bowed his head. “Raph and I miss you and we’ll be happy to see you again. No matter if here or in the Nexus.”

After a last loving smile, the image of the old master disappeared.

*

After being scolded for touching the wrong thing at the wrong time (apparently that meant all things and any time) too often, Mikey sat on one of the long tables he had helped carry into the new garage. Pouting he watched Donatello and Raphael work on the hothead’s motorcycle. After a while the two had decided that someone whose only terms for vehicle parts were “thingy” and “doo-hickey” was not  safe around sensible motorized machines and had told him to keep his distance while they were working. But not only was he bored out of his mind since he was not allowed to help. He also felt a light stab of hurt, watching Don and Raph working together like a well-oiled machine, alternating between playful banter companionable silence.

When Mikey and Raph were together, it was usually one of them watching something the other loved, like Mikey watching Raph work out or Raph watching Mikey play video games. Otherwise they had sex which was a lot of fun, but Michelangelo would have liked to deepen the relationship into something more meaningful. Sure, he did not exactly stop his hotheaded partner when he started kissing his neck or caressing his thighs when they watched a movie or when he turned ninjutsu training into a full-blown make out session. Maybe that would have been fine but it stung, seeing Don so close to Raph, have them talk so amicably, seeing the brawler being respectful and willing to listen, witnessing him taking Don so serious without trying to get him on his back. Not that Mikey would want Raph getting Donnie on his back. But he could not help wonder if he would if presented the opportunity. And that doubt hurt.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the elevator door opening, shortly before Leonardo entered the garage. Don and Raph did not notice the leader as they were caught up in their current exchange. They were literally and figuratively putting their heads together as they were speaking about the best way to adjust the handle.

Mikey noticed a flicker of annoyance on Leonardo’s face, but soon the schooled mask of indifference covered the ninja’s handsome features again. He cleared his throat.

“Master Splinter just contacted me.”

Raphael scoffed.

“’Course he did,” he said sarcastically. “It ain’t like he’s got another son he coulda contacted. Oh, wait…”

“Well Raph,” Leo lectured. “If you would have let me finish, you’d have learned that he messaged me because the Daimyo asked for the clan’s help which is a matter to discuss with the clan’s leader.”

“Yeah, and a weeks long absence is a matter ta discuss with yer family!”

Mikey jumped up from the table and put on the smile that Raphael usually reacted so positively to.

“Your dad probably meant nothing by it,” he tried to placate the brawler. “Like Leo said, it was clan stuff AND family stuff. Two birds, one stone and all that.”

He spoke in a light tone, hoping it would be infectious, but Raph just scoffed again

“Believe it or not, Honeyball,” he growled. “I actually can take _and_ pass a message.”

“Y…yes, of course you can, Raphie,” stuttered Mikey, not exactly smoothly. “I just meant…”

“Kala told me that this way of communication is less exhausting when it is aimed at a spot that was aimed at before,” Donatello chimed in. “I suppose that you guys are mostly in the lair when Splinter contacts you this way so he chose to do it again. And you were here in the garage.”

“Hmpf,” Raphael made. “Yeah, I guess.”

Still grumbling, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, but with visibly relaxed posture, the turtle in red went to the small basin Don had installed and washed his hands. Leonardo cast a grateful glance at Donatello and sighed in relief before he shared his father’s news. Mikey barely heard him.

*

“What does one even bring to a battle Nexus?”

“Weapons certainly seem like a good call.”

“Yeah, but what about toothbrushes?”

“They’re _always_ a good call!”

“Oh…”

“Mikey….”

“Ehm, yeah, well, we probably won’t have as much time for reading as you guys brought books.”

“Don’t derail! What about your toothbrush?”

“Calm down! I packed it for him!”

“That’s intrusive!”

“Better than unhygienic!”

With a soft smile on his face Leatherhead greeted Leonardo as he stepped into the dojo.

“The O’Neils are here,” he said amused.

“I heard, thank you.” Leonardo gave back with a smirk.

Shaking his head good naturedly, he watched the two turtles and the pretty red-head standing between their luggage, opening each other’s bags and criticizing each other’s choices.

“We might as well be standing at platform 9 3/4.” Raphael joined Leonard, a small backpack draped over his shell. “Can’t wait ta see that chaos crew in the Nexus.”

Leo chuckled.

“Well, the Daimyo said he is grateful for _any_ help,” he said.

Raph grinned.

“Can’t complain then, can he?” he laughed and stepped further into the dojo to stand by Michelangelo’s side.

“We’ll see about that, I guess,” Leonardo spoke to noone and when finally Casey Jones arrived, too, the leader started drawing the needed symbols on the wall.

*

For Leo and Raph arriving at the Nexus was no more special than reaching the location of a regular holiday: pleasant, something to look forward to, but too familiar to be actually exiting.

For the O’Neils, Casey and Leatherhead it was a new experience and just when they had recovered from the unusual way of travelling, they stood in awe of the unreal beauty of the place they had landed in. Even the level-headed scientists of the group marveled at the beautiful waterfalls and the majestic river they crossed as well as the verdant green forests in the distance.

Crossing the market, Leonardo had to make sure not to lose anyone. For one his curios comrades tended to fall behind or wander off due to the interesting stalls and their ware. For two, especially the O’Neils were easily recognized as “fresh blood” and there was more than one boisterous Nexus inhabitant or visitor who thanks to alcohol and/or testosterone was a little too eager to get close to the attractive newcomers.

Thankfully Raph had a jealous eye on Mikey, Casey’s arm was possessively draped over April’s shoulder and nobody thought about bothering Leatherhead. That left only Donatello.

The smart turtle at first had tried discussing boundaries and appropriate touching with his suitors, but after a while gave up on this. So when Leonardo offered his arm a second time, smirking a little smugly, Don accepted it with a huff. Leonardo and Raphael were well known and nobody had any interest to pick a fight with them and so they arrived at the Daimyo’s home unbothered now.

The guards seemed to have been expecting them because without further ado they opened the gates and one of them led them directly to the Daimyo’s throne room. Here the man himself, Splinter, Kala, the Daimyo’s son and some of his servants and guards were waiting.

The Daimyo was an impressive and redoubted man who despite his age radiated an aura that demanded respect. So even though he had known him for quite a while and his family was on friendly terms with him, Leonardo could not deny the light nervousness he felt every time they met. He bowed respectfully and his comrades did the same.

“Ah, my friends!” the Daimyo greeted them delightedly. “I’m so glad you are here!”

“So are we, Daimyo,” Leonardo answered and after that nodded to his father to give him a smile. A gesture he knew the Daimyo would understand and not begrudge him.

“Oh, please,” the ruler of the Nexus said. “Stop the formalities. Your father has been missing his family dearly. Greet each other properly and then we will discuss the matters at hand over a snack.”

He gestured to his servants and after a heartfelt greeting and a formal introduction of Casey, the O’Neils and Leatherhead they all were moved to the dining hall. When they were seated, the Daimyo spoke again.

“At first I owe you an apology and a thank you,” he said while letting his gaze wander over the Hamatos and the O’Neils. “An apology since it was my Order that failed to contain the demons and a thank you for helping to secure at least one of them.”

“Don’t fret,” Michelangelo answered before somebody else could. “Mistakes happen, right? And it’s not like we could have let this demon have Earth. We need it.”

Before Leonardo could decide whether to react with an apology or a distraction, Splinter laughed lightly and said: “Michelangelo here is right, my friend. The trickery of demons knows no bounds. It is no shame to fall for their schemes. And helping to catch the fiend that chose our home to escape to, was in our own best interest.”

“I am blessed to have such noble warriors by my side in this trying times,” the Daimyo smiled. “After our dinner young Kala here shall explain her newest idea to us.”

Of course for a moment all eyes were locked on Kala who gave a nervous smile and started fidgeting with her hands.

“Ehm, yes, of course, Daimyo,” she nodded and was visibly relieved when everybody focused on their food again.

Dinner was a lively affair. Donatello, April and Michelangelo bombarded the Daimyo with questions. April and Don asked about the flora, the fauna and about interdimensional travelling. A lot of them the man himself could not answer but promised to introduce Donatello and April to people who could. Mikey asked about the fights, the history of the Nexus, whether the Daimyo had been a fighter, too, whether Mikey himself could participate and what exactly the price was. The Daimyo was very patient with the young turtle and – to Donatello’s and April’s relief – talked Michelangelo out of participating until he had had more training.

Raphael talked to Splinter about his current training methods and Leonardo listened. Even though he did have some suggestions and ideas, he held them back. Don’s words back in the garage had made Raphael think and actually prevented him from avoiding the old master for a few days like he usually did when he felt neglected. It would be unwise to chime in now and disturb the fragile harmony.

So he engaged in a discussion with Casey about ice hockey. Leonardo really had no opinion on that matter, but since Casey was opinionate enough for both of them, that did not pose a problem. Leatherhead remained silent as he always did when he was somewhere unfamiliar and surrounded by people he had not met before. He watched and listened.

Finally they finished their meal and the Daimyo led them, accompanied by some guards but without his son who stayed behind, to a section of his palace, Leonardo had not visited before. Here he felt  magic pulsating around him. Runes he did not know were painted on the walls. They did not seem to protect or block, they seemed to give.

Kala guessed his thoughts correctly.

“These runes are meant to increase the sensitivity of those who are in the room,” she explained with a smile. “It makes it easier to enter the metaphysical plane and translate the images seen there into things we understand. They were also used when the crystals were created so it’s necessary we have them.”

Kala offered her hand to Leonardo.

“We will have to enter the crystal,” she said. “It is easier for me to show it to you. Unfortunately only two people at once can enter while the entity is connected to a host.”

“Alright,” Leonardo answered, giving his consent with a nod and by taking the hand she offered.

Leonardo and Kala both were very talented in spiritual matters and very experienced when it came to traveling to the metaphysical plane. So it did not take them long to leave the physical world behind and find their way into the small dimension that was placed inside the crystal.

Leonardo opened his eyes and found Kala standing in front of him. She smiled and was calm, a stark contrast to the whirl of colors around them.

“Give it a moment,” she giggled. “We not only left the physical plane but also hopped into a miniature dimension. Give your senses a break.”

“Easy for you to say,” he smiled. “I have the feeling you were here before.”

“Oh, you bet,” she groaned. “I did this so often. One time I was here so long that I forgot how my physical legs worked. That was very embarrassing.”

“But it helped?”

“Yes. I know now how to translate all this and I can show you.” She took his hand again and slowly but steadily the wild, chaotically moving colors started sorting themselves and melted together to more familiar shapes. Before Leonardo’s eyes a room appeared. The walls were simply white, light grey tiles had been laid on the floor and a giant loudly humming machine dominated the space. In fact, it was the only thing that was there, no other piece of technologie or furniture had been placed. Hundreds, if not thousands of colorful buttons and lights blinked and at one point Leonardo had to look away. He was not prone to seizures, but still he knew that this room warranted a warning about that.

“You see now why we need Donnie, Leatherhead and April?”

“I do,” Leonardo confirmed. “What I don’t understand is why you did not bring one of them here.”

“I estimate that even someone with their knowledge will need a while to hack a computer that actually only exists in the mind,” Kala explained. “So they all need someone to bring them here and keep them safe and sane. Leatherhead, April and Don are capable with computers. But they will need a spiritual guide. I heard that you and Don work well together while meditating.”

“Ehm, well, yes,” Leonardo said. “But I think my father…”

“He can help April, I can help Leatherhead,” Kala interrupted. “Then we have three crystal computer hacking teams – CCHTs as they are also called.”

“Who calls them that?” Leo asked amused.

“So far only I do,” Kala admitted. “But I’m working on it.”

“So I bring Don here and he has a look at the thing,” Leo summarized. “My father gets April here, you Leatherhead. One of them hacks the computer and then?”

“As soon as Ch’rell and the demon are separated, I can trap the entity – the demon, not Ch’rell – in an improved cage,” Kala answered. “And we will have three teams that can enter a crystal and do the same with the other demons.”

“Wait, you want us to split?”

“We might have to, Leonardo,” Kala said wistfully. “I’m not sure how connected they are. Defeating one might not alarm the others, but they might go into hiding when they see their kind fall left and right. And who knows how and if we’ll ever find them again?”

Frowning Leonardo nodded. He did not like the idea, but Kala had a point.

“You are right,” he finally admitted. “Let’s show this to the others.”

After all “teams” had visited the crystal’s interior, the three computer specialists were a little exhausted and needed a break. They grabbed Mikey and went to the parlor in the Daimyo’s guest house.

Leonardo, Raphael and Splinter stayed with the Daimyo for another half hour to discuss the next tournament and its possible delay.

“I cannot have hundreds of people leave and enter here on a daily basis when any of them could be possessed by a demon that uses the Nexus to travel faster between Victim A and B,” the Daimyo said. “I know a lot of people, including you, my friends, will be disappointed, but I cannot risk that.”

“We understand,” Splinter said. “And I am sure everybody would who knows the truth. But I still think not everybody should know the truth.”

“I agree,” the Daimyo sighed. “I hate lying, but I will need to come up will some sort of half-truth if I really have to delay the next fights.”

“We’ll let ya know if we have any ideas,” Raphael grinned.

When they finally left the Daimyo, it neared midnight, but since Leatherhead and the O’Neils all were nightowls, they were sure to find them in the parlor. Splinter excused himself for the night, but his sons went to meet their friends.

“Mikey’s been weird lately,” Raphael suddenly said.

“Ehm…” Leonardo felt overchallenged. His brother was not known for his urge to do smalltalk, but to think that he actually asked for Leonardo’s advice was crazy. For one because Raph hated it when Leo told him what to do. For two because Leonardo was not exactly a well-known address for successful relationship guidance.

“I don’t know if I said something or did something wrong,” Raph said. “Or if he is just, I don’t know, nervous? Maybe scared?”

“Well, Michelangelo is a character way more complex than one might think on first glance,” Leonardo smiled. “He is empathetic and compassionate. It wouldn’t surprise me if the whole situation affects him more than he wants us to know. His family is in danger, his friends and allies are, too. And Mikey sure will not look aside when people he does not even know come to harm.”

This put a smile on Raphael’s face as well.

“Yeah, Mikey’s special,” he said, now grinning broadly. “I hope yer right. If it’s not me, I can cheer him up. I hope…”

“Well, trying definitely won’t hu…” Leonardo stopped midsentence upon entering the parlor.

“What is it?” Raphael said, but when he followed his brother’s gaze, he barely could contain his laughter. “Well, ain’t that perfect?”

“Hmpf. ‘Perfect’ isn’t what it used to be,” Leonardo grumbled, barely noticing how Raphael went to the fireplace where he had spotted Michelangelo.

Leo walked towards the seating corner under a large panorama window, his eyes on Donatello and the genius’ current company. It was a beautiful white-furred humanoid rabbit with fascinating black eyes, dressed in an informal yet elegant blue robe and with an endearing smile. Whatever Donatello was saying, the rabbit listened closely. His arm was draped on the window sill, not touching Don but a bit territorial nonetheless.

“It’s really interesting that you practice Ninjutsu, Donatello,” the rabbit spoke with a velvety voice. “You are not the first mutant turtle I meet. I have known another and he…”

Leonardo cleared his throat, drawing the rabbit’s attention as well as Donatello’s.

“Well, I hope you still know him, Usagi,” he said, trying for a light tone. “He’d be devastated to learn you forgot him.”

“Leonardo!” Usagi jumped to his feet and bowed. Hesitantly he dared to touch Leo’s shoulder and Leo allowed it.

“So, you’ve met Donnie, have you?” Leonardo asked unnecessarily.

Donatello raised an eye ridge but bit back the sarcastic commentary that undoubtedly was in his mind.

“Yes,” Usagi answered instead. “He eyed the chess board so longingly, but scandalously nobody asked if he wanted to play.”

“So Usagi took the time to indulge me a bit,” Donatello smiled warmly.

“It was my pleasure,” Usagi gave back and teased: “But now I suspect the reason he found no opponent was that everybody but me knew he was unbeatable at this game.”

“Well, Don is a genius,” Leonardo said. “But I doubt everyone knows this since it’s his first visit to the Nexus.”

“Oh?” Usagi’s smile widened. “It would be my pleasure to show you around.”

“I’m afraid we have business tomorrow,” Leonardo answered for Donatello. “There will be no time.”

The genius kept quiet, but an annoyed glint started to spread in his honey-colored eyes.

“Ah, I see,” Usagi said. “Well, it’s not that I’m here for pure pleasure myself. So maybe I shouldn’t make any promises until I finished my own business anyway.”

“Why are you here?” Leonardo asked concerned.

Usagi’s and his relationship was still a bit strained, but nonetheless he was one of his oldest friends and the loyalty he felt did not abate in the face of hurt pride or a broken heart.

“My home is invaded, my friend,” Usagi said with a sad expression. “But not by an enemy I could easily fight. Fear spreads for no reason among the people. Rich and poor alike fall victim to it. Even the most courageous fighters I know suddenly are scared and rendered unable in a fight. I do not have to tell you how easy fear can become hate, not even to speak of all the villains who might take advantage when men and women of law are too scared to fight.”

Leonardo and Donatello changed a meaningful look.

“Do you know what caused this?” Don asked carefully.

“Several seers claim to have sensed a powerful and malicious entity,” Usagi answered. “And one of them swears that it is not from our world. And when I heard it might be from another dimension,…”

“You came to the Nexus to ask the Daimyo’s mages for advice,” Leonardo finished the sentence.

“Yes,” Usagi confirmed with a sad smile.

Now it was Leonardo who put a comforting hand on his old friend’s shoulder.

“My family and I and a few allies meet with the Daimyo in the morning,” he said. “I think you should accompany us. The matters we have to discuss seem to be of your concern as well.”

 


End file.
